Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, are facing uncertainty over their chances of securing second-term tickets in the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Although Fubara has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, Yusuf is also expected to join the ruling party following his recent resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). However, multiple party sources say neither governor has been guaranteed an automatic return ticket.
According to insiders, entrenched political interests and influential party leaders in both Rivers and Kano states are contesting the governors’ ambitions, triggering intense internal manoeuvring within the APC.
Several governorship aspirants in both states have vowed to resist any attempt to impose candidates, insisting that transparent and competitive primaries must be conducted.
Fubara’s defection on December 9 was widely viewed as a strategic move to secure a second term. However, the move has further strained his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who has openly stated that Fubara’s return ticket is not guaranteed within the APC.
Wike, while mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, has reportedly been rallying political stakeholders in Rivers State across party lines to oppose Fubara’s second-term bid.
In Kano, Governor Yusuf resigned from the NNPP alongside 21 state lawmakers, eight House of Representatives members and 44 local government chairmen. However, his deputy, Aminu AbdulSalam, and the NNPP’s national leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, remain in the party—an outcome APC insiders say weakens Yusuf’s negotiating position.
No Automatic Return Tickets
APC officials told Sunday PUNCH that while some defecting governors from the PDP have secured assurances of return tickets, no final decision has been made regarding Fubara and Yusuf.
A member of the APC National Working Committee cited the “peculiar political dynamics” in Rivers and Kano as major obstacles.
Another senior party source said divisions within the APC Governors’ Forum and concerns about the governors’ ability to deliver electoral victories were delaying decisions, especially in Kano where former APC national chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin are backing rival aspirants.
In Rivers State, Wike’s influence remains a decisive factor, with party leaders insisting that any return ticket for Fubara would require broad stakeholder consensus.
Aspirants Push Back
The APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, said he would not step down for any aspirant, stressing that Fubara had not aligned with the dominant APC faction in the state.
Similarly, the APC in Kano State ruled out automatic tickets, with its Publicity Secretary, Ahmed Aruwa, stating that all aspirants—including sitting governors—must contest party primaries.
