Rivers State: APC Screening Crisis Deepens As Spokesman, Panel Secretary Disagrees

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:01]Confusion has continued to trail the All Progressive Congress screening exercise for River State House of Assembly aspirants ahead of the 2027 elections following conflicting reports over the disqualification of dozens of contenders linked to Governor Similar Fubara. While the party's publicity secretary in River State Chibri Kena confirmed that many aspirants were screened out and advised a affected persons to approach the appeal committee. The secretary of the screening committee, Honorable Tango Yamoa dismissed the circulating report as fake and unauthorized.

[00:00:42]The screening committee chaired by Right Honorable Moren Ajubalah reportedly cleared only 33 aspirants out of the 98 screened between May and 10, disqualifying 56 others for allegedly failing to meet party requirements.

[00:01:01]According to committee reports, reason for disqualification included irregular nomination documents, failure to present voter cards and party membership slips, conflicting birth records, insufficient nominators, invalid affidavits, and attempted bribery of committee members.

[00:01:19]The panel also said one aspirant was handed over to police after allegedly attempting to influence the process with cash. Most of those disqualified were said to be loyal to Governor Fubara and former APC governorship candidate Tony Cole while aspirants aligned with the pro-Way Rainbow Coalition were largely cleared. Notable figures reportedly screened out include former Obiao Council chairman Chok and expelled lawmakers Victor Okojumbo and Sukari good boy. Meanwhile, all 297 pro-wick lawmakers in the rivers assembly led by deputy speaker dumle ma were cleared to participate in the primaries while speaker Martin was reportedly screened separately in Abuja for a house of representatives ticket. The development has further exposed a widening political rift between Fubara and the federal capital territory minister. Yes on week as both camps intensify preparations for the 2027 elections. Despite Yamoa's denial of the authenticity of the report, Ikena insisted the list was genuine and maintained that affected aspirants must seek redress through the party's appeal mechanism. Political observers believe the internal AP crisis may strengthen opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress and National Democratic Congress which are already positioning themselves to exploit the growing divisions within the ruling party in River State. Barister Sims, what is your take on this story?

[00:02:55]You've been following the APC screening.

[00:02:58]All right. What's your take? Yes, I've been following it and um I don't see hero because the whole thing they keep saying they will bring the authentic list the list the screen list >> some have even said tomorrow they they expecting a list from Abuja that Abuja the national working committee is the one that is supposed to authenticate any list that has any list that has been screened. M >> so these are speculations and when uh you know a particular issue become speculative you know then it become vicorous >> we cannot really place any tangible uh periscope on it because it's speculative they say the list will come out the authentic list will come out tomorrow but I don't understand but what I want to find about from those who know more than me the politics of the APC is that if it is a national working committee from Abuja that we declare or present the authentic list in river state >> why did it not happen in Bessa Baysa state APC has you know brought their list those who were screened they know themselves those who were not screened or I mean those who were disqualified is outright. You can see it there as the case may be. So, but that of rivers is neither here or there for now >> based on these speculative tendencies of the various people who are running commentaries on this. But you know what I I I always want to say is that why screening?

[00:04:51]Screening is very important for political properties.

[00:04:56]Why? Because of the fact that it helps you to mop up the wheat from the chaff.

[00:05:03]It help you to streamline and bring about your best candidates in an election because they have their documentation.

[00:05:13]They have everything there as the case may be. Two is that the importance of screening is to make a a situation where the party will not fall victim >> of error from a particular candidate or you know whatever suari many people have forgotten but they forgot to know that that is a young man who caused the PDP a slot in the house of reps and created problems for them The law of uh that time said you must be 30 years and above >> also for you to contest you know election in any position like house of assembly senatecari was not up to 30 years but he had the crowd he had the finance he had the support and what happened was that he went to falsify his age to make sure that uh He beat that age bracket gap of 30 to 35 >> and I awarded to himself 31 years just to meet that precondition and he won the election.

[00:06:30]when they after the election they got to the national the national assembly then somebody I don't know what happened his father's friend who was you know in naming ceremony >> and who said that the son that is his own son and sari are the same age mates that subar cannot be up to 30 years by his own recording and facts he went and proved THE FACTS AND THAT WAS HOW Subari lost that position. He resigned as a member of the house of reps and that position was taken away from him leading to a biation.

[00:07:14]So that is number one. Number two in BA you find that David Lion would have been or what you call him would have been the governor to today he won that election APC that was the first time APC could have her into BSA because APC didn't have any to buy APC is just like Lego state you know before you know dismantled and APC not dismantled because they rely You know what what took David Lion out was that the the the papers presented to the party who came through >> present to him who came through. We now found out that there was an error and the error is not just in his certificate or whatever but in his name name you know that instead of a is b you understand the point now so that even it is myself formerly known as this thing the court technically said no that you didn't do what the court did poll for the supreme Not. So based on that you going to you you are going to lose your ticket and at the moment he lost a ticket that is a joint mandate himself AND THE GOVERNOR WHO NEVER HAD ANY ISSUE.

[00:08:43]The man never had any issue with screening the man had any issue elections he won the election hands down to that couldn't go to tribuna he only relied on this case before the Supreme Court. When the result came at a day or two days to the surrender of that governor, the governor and his deputy lost the seat today that would have been the one handing over to to anybody to help in 27. M >> so what happened because of screening if they are screened thoroughly the party has if APC they are screened thoroughly you will not have a you would have had this kind of issues those things would have been detected quite early enough and uh prevented and they can now ask their candidate preferred to go and rectify and regularize those things it will not cause any you know look on there when the election come. So these are the importance of screening.

[00:09:45]There are other advantages of screening at this level.

[00:09:50]Now you look at the screening committee to get what I call independence.

[00:10:00]They chose somebody not from River State.

[00:10:03]From the name I saw there is like the man is a Euroba man from southwest.

[00:10:07]>> Mhm.

[00:10:07]>> To come and head that committee. So there should be arena for impartiality in in that committee because the man does not know the candidates of the aspirants maybe some what the somewhere was playing with or telling him or what that's what they alleging now because the question I asked is this how did you know that those who were all wicked people >> how do you know that those who were clear were not disqualified we all see fas whatever you see because the narrative of the politics you know that is what they need to sentimentalize you know what is going on here so how do you know you understand apart from the three names we we saw there the other names I don't know I also have a friend I don't know if he was disqualified as the case may be so how do you now know that these are these people that were cleared were those of wicked no problem if you If you think so and you know so there is no problem politics I have said the essence of party politics is the capture of power.

[00:11:19]>> MHM.

[00:11:20]>> THAT IS WHY IN fact that Nikol Mavi said that the essence and excessential of politics is for the CAPTURE OF POWER. DON'T DECEIVE yourself that thinking that politics is coming to leak ice cream. It's not like going to one of these cafes to go and start eating ice cream and you go beers and comb it. No, that is not what politics is all about. Politics is more or less like a seri of the fittest and it has been worldwide THAT YOU IN POLITICS ALL IS FAIR and just except DON'T KILL BUT ANY TACTICS you use is FAIR AND JUST YOU UNDERSTAND the point. So you will not follow that it was also a said that politics is war without blood and war is politics with blood you understand the point so when you see this kind of things happening I DON'T I DON'T I DON'T CARE hoot said he's wicked so what if these wicked people if they were able to have the upper hand what it's A CONTEST YOU UNDERSTAND THE POINT? YOU able to prove that no no this person that did this he was directly in I must show proof that there was impartiality and this person was influenced. EVEN THE FOOTBALL OVER the weekend we saw what happened when a particular thing equalize and said it WAS A GO BUT said it was not a go. people said the other thing that won that influence the referee so it's all politics as case may be I want to tell or advise those people who participated before you participated in that election or screening I'm sure they must have given you the conditions president number one is that screening is guided by you know three conditions or number one is the constitution of Nigeria. Number two is the constitution of your political party.

[00:13:41]Number three is the electoral act.

[00:13:44]These are the three you know grounds.

[00:13:48]So you want to participate you have to go and pick the constitution and read it. You have to go and pick your party constitution and not read it and electoral have to read it. Now in the case of the party constitution I saw that the reason why they disqualify some of them they didn't pay this or they didn't pay this those are jine grants because the courts have said that internal democracy must and your constitution you must follow your party constitution since you have signed as a member say your constitution is supreme if they have denied you access for this then you can go to court but they allowed you you got to form you participated as the case may be. So what have happened is that these things are there.

[00:14:35]These are three conditions. A lot of people have said that uh like I say look I argued the other day said let me tell you that section 85 which was section 84 subing of act 2022 now section 85 does not exclude. It says that party is supreme. THE PARTY HAS the right to do their screening. They can screen anybody but they follow the rules of their constitution and the NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION. THAT IS THAT if what does Nigerian constitution say to contest assembly for instance you have to be 30 years and above school s you must not be a lunatic because some of them who are I thought that they should include medical examination in some of these things because some politicians because when I see that they say he must not be a lunatic some politics are lunatics you understand some political you know people see They they are lunatics. You understand?

[00:15:41]They even the only the only reason is that they they they have not come out openly to be wandering up and down with disabled hair and whatever otherwise they are lunatics. They should include medical examination. Some of these people >> psychiatric >> psychiatric information should be included. I think that should be the next thing we going to propose cuz some of the motor I don't know. So you must have certificate. NOW YOU CERTIFICATE SOME OF THE PEOPLE are criminals some of them will go and force certificate >> but I I >> from high school and present >> didn't um the recent um amendments wasn't part of the amendment included was that um people can no longer politicians can no longer lose their seats on ground of certificate forgery.

[00:16:27]Was that >> No no no no I needation on that. Yeah. Section 3 I think section section uh section 359 or so or 159.

[00:16:40]>> Mhm.

[00:16:41]>> 159. Yeah. Yeah. Section 159 of the electoral act >> as amended.

[00:16:47]>> As amended didn't say he said that is a pre-election matter after the election carries it in the tribunal.

[00:16:59]that is that if this going to bring four certificates now and it's >> and it's not and it's not captured on time.

[00:17:07]>> It's not captured on time.

[00:17:08]>> The person can >> if I win if I win election >> m >> if I win election with that for that certificate that you you understand >> you cannot raise it in the election tribunal to disqualify me or to void my election. Do you understand the point now? You can't be. SO THAT WAS WHY THAT IS THE reason why you are saying that many of them are not talking about certific certificate again.

[00:17:35]So that is the situation. It didn't say that uh >> all right >> you understand it should be pre election. So if I find that any of them has any issue now is the time for me to go to court and challenge.

[00:17:48]>> All right >> that this person ought not to pass that screening.

[00:17:51]>> All right. AND THAT IS WHY when you finish have to place the names on the board for all of us come and see if I look at a particular man I I know that this man is a toolent character because on the list I have about five toent people I know there I won't call their names but they know themselves screening >> yes people who who they said they participating they of questionable character but I hope that they to detect them or fish them out as case may So if you look at situations of that nature most of them are some of them are on that bandits you know I even thought while I was there I was questioning which school did this guy I know him very well you know but we go there and present certificates and say he wants to be assembly and be misleading us when when he gets there. So these are the things we look at.

[00:18:42]>> All right.

[00:18:43]>> So the election of that say is this. SO MY FINAL ADVICE to them go to court don't go to court now because you lose you lose in court. You know why you lose in court. The Supreme Court has said that for them to listen to you in situation for this number one, they must have prevented you >> from participating in the election or denied you the right to participate >> if you have a card carrying member. Then they can if they exclude you from buying for participation, you can go to court directly. to in this instance since you have subscribed and accepted that you are APC member and you wait for the swing you the next thing you have to do instead of going to court is to go appeal there's an appeal you know whatever set up >> go to that appeal because if you go and file at the court you are going to lose because they say you have not exhausted the internal mechanisms of your political party in this resolution before coming to court. So they have to go to appeal. After appeal if the appeal still confirm or affirm the lower you know whatever case may be then you can go to court but the grants you have to be very careful too so that you don't cry tomorrow when the thing comes. The grants are just there. The grants are elastic. So your constitution says for you to be a member of APC you have to pay your dues XYZ. For you to contest any elective office, you must have paid all your taxers. I mean got your tax credit for 3 years, your dues for 2 years. If you have not fulfilled those conditions, they will throw you away and you cannot do anything because it's part of your the communal requirements.

[00:20:29]>> All right.