The political landscape in Rivers State has taken a dramatic turn ahead of the 2027 governorship election as loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, tightened their grip on the state’s political structure.
TheMatrix Newspaper gathers that Kingsley Chinda, a close ally and kinsman of Wike has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chinda’s emergence comes amid growing political realignments in the oil-rich state and follows the withdrawal of embattled Governor Siminalayi Fubara from the race as well as the decision of former APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, to step aside from the contest.
The development is already generating intense reactions within political circles, with analysts describing it as a major consolidation of Wike’s influence in Rivers politics despite the lingering feud between the former governor and his estranged political godson, Fubara.
Chinda’s emergence was declared on Thursday evening at the APC secretariat following the collation of results from wards across the 23 local government areas of the state.
Announcing the outcome of the primary election, Chairman of the Screening Committee, Bitrus Kwamoti, said Chinda emerged victorious with a total of 268,497 votes.
Kwamoti described the exercise as peaceful and successful, commending party members for their conduct throughout the process.
Reacting, Chinda who hails from Obio-Akpor Local Government Area (LGA) same as Wike vowed that if elected governor, he would govern with “fear of God and respect for the rule of law”.
“Rivers people should expect sincerity in governance and proper accountability. Peaceful and progressive Rivers state is coming again,” he said.
It would be recalled that on Wednesday, Fubara, Cole, a businessman, and Dax George-Kelly, a former commissioner for works, withdrew from the APC governorship primary clearing the coast for Chinda.
