By Daphne Gelegu, Port Harcourt
The political temperature in Rivers State soared on Saturday after the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee disqualified 56 aspirants seeking to contest the party’s House of Assembly primaries, dealing a major blow to camps loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former governorship candidate Tonye Cole.
The screening exercise, conducted between May 9 and May 10, saw only 33 out of 98 aspirants cleared to proceed for the primaries scheduled ahead of the next phase of the party’s internal electoral process.
In a report dated May 10, the committee, headed by Muraine Ajibola, stated that the affected aspirants failed to meet requirements laid down for the screening exercise. The report was jointly signed by Ajibola, committee secretary Ishake Yamawe, and member Danjuma Samuel.
What has stirred fresh controversy within the Rivers APC, however, is the political alignment of many of those disqualified. Nearly all aspirants believed to be linked to Governor Fubara’s political structure reportedly failed the screening, fueling speculation of an intensifying power struggle ahead of the primaries.
Among the prominent figures affected are Chijoke Ihunwo, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and Sokari Goodboy — all considered influential allies within Fubara’s camp.
The development is expected to deepen existing cracks within the Rivers political landscape, where tensions between rival blocs have continued to shape the battle for control of the state’s political machinery.
Supporters of the affected aspirants are already questioning the transparency of the exercise, while party insiders insist the committee acted strictly based on laid-down guidelines.
With the primaries fast approaching, attention now turns to whether the disqualified aspirants will seek redress within the party or escalate the matter politically and legally.
More details are expected to emerge in the coming hours.
