• Party’s spokesman, panel scribe bicker over screening report
The Rivers State House of Assembly Screening Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified all 32 aspirants reportedly backed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, including former factional Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and two other lawmakers loyal to the governor.
 
The committee, however, cleared the 29 serving lawmakers aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, led by Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, to participate in the party’s primaries ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.
 
The Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, was also said to have obtained the party’s nomination form to contest the House of Representatives seat.

A total of 98 aspirants appeared before the four-member screening panel constituted by the APC National Working Committee. The exercise was conducted over the weekend at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt.
 
A copy of the committee’s report, obtained by The Guardian yesterday, was signed by Muraina Ajibola (Chairman), Ishaku Tanko Yamawo (Secretary), Abdullah Hajia Aisha Abdullahi Adamu, and Danjuma Samuel.
 
According to the report, the committee said it adopted “a transparent, orderly and participatory procedure” in carrying out the exercise and screened all 98 aspirants who presented themselves.
 
“The Screening Committee constituted by the National Working Committee of the party respectfully submits its report on the screening exercise conducted for aspirants seeking nomination under the platform of the party for election into the Rivers State House of Assembly for the 2027 general elections,” the report stated.
 
The committee described the exercise as largely peaceful, noting that Victor Oko-Jumbo attempted to gain access to the venue with security aides, leading to a disagreement with the policemen on duty.
 
The panel also alleged that one of the aspirants attempted to bribe members of the committee and was subsequently handed over to the police.
satisfactory documentation.

Meanwhile, the APC’s Publicity Secretary in Rivers, Chubike Ikenga, had circulated copies of the report. But after the state leadership of the party announced that the panel had submitted the report, the Secretary of the Screening Committee, Tanko Yamowa, disclaimed the purported report, describing it as false and unauthorised.
 
Yamowa said that the screening exercise was conducted by the committee less than 24 hours ago, and no official list had been released by the party.
 
He said: “The attention of the party leadership has been drawn to the circulation of a purported list of cleared and uncleared aspirants for the Rivers State House of Assembly currently making the rounds across various media platforms.
 
“We wish to categorically state that the said publication is false, unauthorised, and does not emanate from the appropriate party authorities.
 
Yanowa, therefore, urged party faithful, aspirants, supporters, and the general public to disregard the purported list and treat it as the handiwork of mischief makers whose intention is to create confusion and unnecessary tension within the party.
 
He stressed that the party remains committed to transparency, fairness, and due process throughout the entire exercise.
 
When contacted to clarify why the report he sent earlier was being disputed, Ikenga accused Yamowa of spreading falsehood.
 
He maintained that Fubara loyalists were disqualified and counselled them to approach the party’s appeal panel to challenge their disqualification.