Isaac Samuel
The screening committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified 65 aspirants, including former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo, from participating in the party’s forthcoming House of Assembly primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Findings showed that most of the affected aspirants are believed to be loyalists of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, amid the lingering political crisis between the governor and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
According to the screening report signed by the committee chairman, Rt. Hon. Muraina Ajibola, alongside three other members, only 33 aspirants were cleared to contest the primaries, with many of them reportedly aligned with Wike and currently serving in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The committee said the disqualified aspirants failed to meet requirements outlined in Article 9.3 of the APC Constitution, which limits the right to vote or contest elections within the party to “fully registered and financially up-to-date members.”
Party sources, however, alleged that the exercise was largely targeted at aspirants linked to Governor Fubara, many of whom recently moved towards the APC amid the power struggle over the control of the state’s political structure.
The committee reportedly insisted that several nominations were endorsed by party members who had not fulfilled their financial obligations to the APC, leading to the mass disqualification.
Among those listed as “Not Cleared” were Orubibanugha Timothy, Chime Eguma Ezebulike, Onyema Loveday Hechiaru, Tonye Briggs Oniyide, and former Obio/Akpor Local Government Chairman, Chijioke Kemzunum Ihunwo, a known ally of Governor Fubara.
The screening exercise, conducted at the APC Secretariat in Port Harcourt, was also marred by controversies.
One of the aspirants, Tonye Garrick Tom-George, who sought to contest for the Asari Toru I seat, was disqualified over alleged bribery.
The committee accused him of attempting to influence members by allegedly presenting an envelope containing money alongside his passport photograph during the screening process.
The incident was reportedly reported to the police, with the committee citing “inducement and attempted bribery” as grounds for his disqualification.
The committee also accused former factional Speaker Victor Oko Jumbo of breaching security protocols after he allegedly insisted on entering the screening venue with security aides, leading to a confrontation with police officers before the situation was brought under control.
Beyond allegations of political bias and misconduct, the committee cited other reasons for the disqualification of the aspirants, including submission of unsworn affidavits, failure to provide valid voter’s cards or party membership slips, discrepancies in dates of birth, invalid affidavits relating to NECO certificates, and failure to secure the required number of nominators.
A total of 98 aspirants had obtained nomination forms and participated in the screening exercise held over the weekend in Port Harcourt.
Those cleared for the primaries include Maol Dumle, Major M. Jack, Nwabochi Frankline, Ofiks K. Christopher, Enemi Alabo George, Tonye Smart Adoki, Tekenari W. Granville, Azeru Opara, Igwe Obey Aforji, Hope Ugwumadu, Kenneth Minimah, Justina Aniton Okorji, Onyema Rex Nwankwo, Jumbo Soparagha, Wami Solomon, Gift Esede Ali, and Peter E. Abbey, among others.
The development has further heightened political tension within the APC in Rivers State, with supporters of Governor Fubara accusing the party leadership of sidelining their camp ahead of the 2027 elections.
A supporter of the governor warned that the mass disqualification could weaken the APC’s chances in the state during the general election.
“You cannot push out your major mobilisers from the party simply to satisfy a particular interest and expect them to work for the same people who oppressed them,” the source said.
“Though we are handling it internally, if not properly managed, the APC may have shot itself in the foot and the consequences could reflect during the election.”
The screening committee, which included Hon. Ishaku Tanko Yamawo as Secretary and Samuel Danjuma as a member, maintained that the exercise was aimed at protecting the “democratic ideals and progressive principles” of the APC.
