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The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has been successfully screened by the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the May 21 governorship primary election.
Fubara was cleared by the APC screening committee at the Plateau Governors Lodge, Abuja, on Saturday.
The Rivers State governor was among the 17 serving governors whose credentials were verified and assessed by the committee.
The Eastern Updates reports that the Rivers APC primary election may be a tough contest, as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, had vowed to cripple Fubara’s re-election bid.
Kingsley Chinda, a loyalist of Wike, was earlier screened and cleared to contest against Fubara in the forthcoming election.
The Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that he chose to appear weak in the political crisis that enveloped his state in the interest of peace.
Fubara, however, urged his supporters to continue to believe in him despite the current political situation in the state.
According to a statement in Port Harcourt, the governor made the call on Friday night while receiving the Man of the Year 2025 award from New Telegraph at a ceremony held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Fubara acknowledged that those who stood by him have endured “special pain”, encouraging them to remain steadfast.
Read Also: Nigeria Split Over How To Try Alleged Coup Plotters
He said, “Today for me is a very special day, and also special for everyone who has believed in me. And I know for believing in me you have a share of special pain,” he said.
Fubara explained that his calm and non-aggressive posture amid the political turbulence in Rivers State was deliberate and strategic.
He said, “I chose for a lot of reasons to be weak. Weak because I want peace. Weak because I need to also protect those things that are dear not just to me but to our dear nation.’
The governor described the perceived weakness as a virtue that would yield results at the right time and reiterated his call for continued support.
“Continue to believe in what you believe in. Weakness is a virtue. It pays at the right time,” he added.
Veteran journalist and former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, presented the award, supported by the Chairman of the Board of New Telegraph, Orji Uzor Kalu, and the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal.
Nigeria’s federal government remains deadlocked over how to prosecute 16 military officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, with the presidency, military hierarchy, and Ministry of Justice unable to agree on whether the suspects should face court-martial proceedings or stand trial in a civilian Federal High Court.
Sources within the Defence Headquarters and the Ministry of Justice told Saturday PUNCH that while military leadership favors an internal court-martial, the presidency has not been convinced that a military tribunal is the appropriate venue, given that the alleged offence was committed against a democratically elected civilian government rather than a military administration.
“There is, indeed, confusion because this is the first time a coup attempt would be made under a civilian government. Previous coups occurred under military regimes, and they had their ways of handling such matters. We cannot rush to any court; we need to establish that the court has jurisdiction to handle the matter,” a senior official at the Federal Ministry of Justice said on condition of anonymity.
The deadlock has left the suspects in custody since their arrest in October 2025, raising constitutional concerns about prolonged detention without charge.
The alleged plot, reportedly scheduled for execution on October 25, 2025, targeted President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, serving ministers, and military service chiefs for elimination. Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq from Nasarawa State is believed to have been the ringleader. Investigators found that disgruntlement over stalled promotions, particularly among northern officers who failed required examinations, partly fueled recruitment into the conspiracy.
