2027: Wike Replacing Fubara With Someone From His LG is Creating Problems For Tinubu-Otubanjo

Professor Femi Otubanjo, Director of Research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), has warned that the reported sidelining of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara from the APC governorship arrangement could create political complications for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Thursday, May 28, 2026, Otubanjo said the decision to replace Fubara with another political figure from the same local government area as FCT Minister Nyesom Wike could alienate critical voting blocs in Rivers State and across the South-South.

According to him, the move carries significant political risks for the ruling party despite the APC’s growing influence in the region.

“To remove Fubara, a man who for the first time is governor of that state and put in someone from his own local government in the uplands is to create problems for Tinubu,” Otubanjo said during the programme.

The political analyst argued that Fubara’s removal from the political equation could provoke dissatisfaction among Ijaw voters, whom he described as a major demographic and political force in Rivers State.

He noted that the development may weaken the APC’s chances in Rivers and undermine the electoral gains the party has made in the South-South ahead of the next election cycle.

Otubanjo further stated that the situation suggests that Minister Wike may be pursuing political interests that do not necessarily align with President Tinubu’s broader electoral calculations in the region.

He maintained that retaining Fubara or presenting another broadly acceptable candidate would have been a more strategic option for the APC if the party hopes to preserve its support base in Rivers State ahead of 2027.