Wike has no role in Rivers APC screening exercise — Party

By Lawrence Agbo

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has refuted allegations that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, influenced the screening of House of Assembly aspirants, insisting the process was conducted independently and fairly.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt, APC Publicity Secretary Chibuike Ikenga said reports claiming that aspirants linked to Wike were given preferential treatment, while those believed to be loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara were denied clearance, were completely inaccurate.

He maintained that Wike is not a member of the APC and has no authority or involvement in the party’s internal screening activities.

Ikenga noted that while the former Rivers governor had publicly backed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term, that should not be interpreted as influence over APC affairs in the state.

He said the screening exercise followed due process and was handled peacefully, revealing that out of 98 aspirants who participated, only 33 were successfully cleared, while 65 failed to scale through the process.

To address complaints from unsuccessful aspirants, the party constituted an appeal committee to review petitions and reassess disputed cases.

Chairman of the committee, Abdul Mahmud, explained that the panel had received the full screening report and was carefully examining complaints submitted by affected aspirants.

He stated that the appeal process would end on May 13, 2026, adding that some aspirants were allowed to submit missing documents that were not provided during the initial screening.

Mahmud stressed that the committee relies mainly on documentary evidence rather than verbal explanations, saying every decision must be backed by proper records.

One of the aspirants for Andoni Constituency, Gogo Friday, expressed dissatisfaction over his non-clearance, saying he was never officially informed of the reasons despite completing the nomination process.

He later discovered that some of his nominators were said not to have paid party dues, while discrepancies in the names on some of his documents were also cited against him.

Similarly, Obio/Akpor Constituency II aspirant, Atuzie Collins, said he was initially disqualified because of a spelling mistake on his voter’s card.

He explained that he had already sworn an affidavit to correct the error and argued that such a minor discrepancy should not be enough to stop his ambition.