Rivers APC Rejects Claims Linking Wike To Screening Disqualifications

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports alleging that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, influenced the outcome of the party’s screening exercise ahead of the local political contests.

Speaking at the APC State Secretariat in Port Harcourt, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Chibuike Ikenga, described the allegations as false and misleading. He stressed that Wike is not a member of the APC and played no role in the screening process.

Ikenga acknowledged that Wike had publicly supported the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but insisted that linking him to the screening results was baseless and unfair.

According to the APC spokesman, the screening exercise was conducted peacefully and transparently. He disclosed that out of 98 aspirants who participated, 33 were successfully cleared, while 65 failed to scale through the process.

He further explained that the party had set up an appeal committee to address complaints from aggrieved aspirants, noting that the review process had continued without any disruption.

Chairman of the Appeal Committee, Abdul Mahmud, confirmed that the panel received the complete screening report containing the names of cleared and disqualified aspirants. He added that the committee had been reviewing petitions from affected candidates and would conclude its assignment on May 13, 2026.

Mahmud also revealed that aspirants who failed to submit certain required documents during screening were given additional time to provide them before the close of the appeal process. He stressed that the committee relied mainly on documentary evidence rather than oral explanations in reaching its decisions.

One of the affected aspirants for Andoni Constituency, Gogo Friday, criticized the party for failing to officially communicate the reasons behind his disqualification despite purchasing nomination forms and participating fully in the screening exercise.

According to him, the committee cited unpaid party dues by some of his nominators, alongside discrepancies in the names on some of his documents, as factors that affected his clearance.

Another aspirant, Atuzie Collins, contesting for Obio/Akpor Constituency II, said he was initially disqualified over a spelling error on his voter’s card. Collins maintained that he had already corrected the issue through an affidavit, arguing that the discrepancy should not have been enough grounds to deny his clearance.