Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda in Abuja, amid rising political tension surrounding the party’s screening exercise in Rivers State.
The meeting, which took place at Yilwatda’s residence, comes at a sensitive moment for the Rivers APC following the controversial screening of aspirants seeking tickets for the State House of Assembly elections.
The party’s screening committee, headed by former lawmaker Muraina Ajibola, cleared only 33 aspirants while disqualifying 65 others out of the 98 contestants who purchased nomination forms for the 32 assembly seats.
According to the committee, several aspirants were disqualified over issues ranging from attempted bribery and inducement to irregular documentation.
Other reasons included invalid voter cards, lack of party membership slips, unsworn affidavits, conflicting birth records, and inconsistencies in nomination details.
The exercise has already sparked fresh political tension within the state, especially after reports emerged that some aspirants believed to be loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former governorship candidate Tonye Cole were among those disqualified.
Although details of Wike’s discussion with the APC chairman were not made public, the timing of the meeting has fueled speculation about ongoing political alignments and internal party negotiations ahead of the elections.
Wike, a former Rivers governor and one of the most influential figures in the state’s politics, has remained a central player in the prolonged political crisis rocking Rivers State, particularly following his fallout with Governor Fubara.
The latest developments are expected to deepen conversations around control of the party structure and the battle for political influence in Rivers ahead of future elections.
