Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed claims that Nyesom Wike poses a problem for the ruling party, insisting the current political dispute involving the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister falls outside the APC’s remit.
In an interview on Tuesday on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Yilwatda said the tension between Wike and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is not a matter for his party because the two politicians belong to different parties.
“When it comes to the issue between Wike and Fubara, it’s not within my purview as the national chairman of APC. Wike is in PDP, Fubara is in APC,” he stated.
The APC boss added that the ongoing impeachment controversy in Rivers State is strictly an internal issue for APC lawmakers in the state assembly.
“The issue of impeachment is not about Wike now; it concerns APC House of Assembly members. That is something I can discuss,” Yilwatda said, underscoring that the process should be handled discreetly through party mechanisms rather than aired publicly.
Asked directly whether Wike represents a challenge to his party, Yilwatda was emphatic: “never, never.”
The remarks come amid heightened political tension in Rivers State where Wike — who served as governor before his appointment as FCT minister — has engaged in a bitter feud with his successor, Governor Fubara, after accusing him of failing to honour an agreement reached before emergency rule was lifted.
Allegations of mismanagement and moves toward impeachment emerged late last year but were paused after a Rivers high court adjourned proceedings indefinitely pending appeal rulings.
Yilwatda’s comments reinforce the APC’s position that internal disputes within other parties should not be conflated with the ruling party’s agenda, especially as the nation edges closer to the 2027 general elections.
