The All Progressives Congress, APC, screening exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections recorded the absence of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, even as the party assessed 14 governors seeking re-election and other elective positions.
Also, President Bola Tinubu’s sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, was screened.
APC began the sale of its expression of interest and nomination forms on April 28, with the exercise closing at midnight on May 6.
The screening of serving governors began on May 8 and concluded on May 10 while the party adopted both consensus and direct primaries in accordance with the Electoral Act 2025.
The party’s primaries are scheduled to hold in phases, beginning with the House of Representatives on May 15, followed by the Senate on May 18, State Houses of Assembly on May 20, governorship on May 21, and the presidential primary on May 23.
Appeal committees are expected to convene after each exercise to address disputes arising from the primaries.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.
INEC also announced that political parties will conduct their primaries and resolve related disputes between April 23 and May 30, 2026.
According to the commission, campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on August 19, 2026, while campaigns for governorship and State Assembly elections are scheduled to begin on September 9, 2026.
The APC screening committee for sitting governors is chaired by the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, while the party’s National Secretary, Surajudeen Basiru, serves as secretary.
Among the governors screened were Abba Yusuf of Kano State, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State, and Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia of Benue State.
Others included Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, and Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
The committee also screened Niger State Governor, Umar Bago; Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal; Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu; and Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, as part of the ongoing exercise.
Other governors screened for senatorial elections include Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, among others, who had also undergone screening.
However, the governor of Rivers State was notably absent from the screening exercise.
Fubara, who has been involved in a long-standing political conflict with his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly obtained the APC expression of interest and nomination forms through a proxy, against Wike’s alleged opposition.
By the conclusion of the screening exercise on Friday and Saturday, Fubara had not appeared for the process.
Responding to questions about his absence from the screening, the Chairman of the Committee, who also serves as the APC Chairman, Yilwatda, said state governors with official engagements were excused.
He said, “Three governors have not come, so that is the issue. I said you should not single one person out when three governors have not appeared. All of them have their reasons for not appearing, and we know they are chief executives of their states with state responsibilities.
“So, any governor who has state issues to attend to, whether the governor of Kwara State, Ebonyi State, Rivers State, we excuse them. They are chief executives and field commanders. Anytime they are free, within the stipulated time, the screening committee will be available and we will provide a slot for them.”
However, Fubara’s fate uncertain.
Some prominent Rivers indigenes, led by a member of the House of Representatives, Awaj-Inombek Abiante, and a former Commissioner for Education, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms for Fubara.
However, no one could tell if the forms were presented to him.
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