The All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Group Council has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and resolve the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State to enable the state to experience sustained development across the region.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director-General of the APC Support Group Council, Hon. Sadiq Abubakar Jikta, said the briefing was convened to address what he described as a matter of grave and urgent concern to the APC and, by extension, the stability and democratic health of Nigeria.
According to him, the APC Support Group Council represents the collective voice of thousands of dedicated structures working tirelessly to secure the party’s mandate across the states.
He said the group was “profoundly disturbed and deeply alarmed” by the protracted and what it described as an “engineered” political crisis in Rivers State. Jikta alleged that the actions and interventions of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had continued to fuel tension, undermine constituted authority, and threaten to plunge a state of immense economic and strategic importance into persistent dysfunction.
“Our concern transcends mere political disagreement. It strikes at the very core of our party’s principles, discipline, and future,” he said.
The group appealed to President Tinubu to take a firm and unambiguous stand, insisting that the broader interests of the APC must not be sacrificed for an individual who, by his own affiliation, is not a member of the party in Rivers State.
“To subordinate the party’s stability to the whims of a political figure from an opposing camp sets a dangerous precedent and erodes institutional integrity for personal expediency,” the group warned.
The APC Support Group Council further expressed concern that the Rivers crisis, if left unchecked, could threaten upcoming nationwide mobilisation campaigns. According to the group, ongoing instability in Rivers State undermines efforts to promote unity, peace, and party loyalty across the country.
“How can we effectively preach unity in Kano, Lagos, and Sokoto when party authority is being openly ridiculed and destabilised in Port Harcourt?” Jikta asked.
The group reiterated that the party remains supreme and must not be held hostage by any individual, regardless of influence or position. It condemned what it described as disrespect toward party authority and the elected Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, calling such conduct incompatible with APC values.
“This is not about personal clashes; it is about due process and respect for the structures that brought us all to power,” the group stated.
The council called on President Tinubu to use his moral and executive authority to restore peace and uphold the supremacy of the APC. It also urged the National Working Committee to strengthen its role in defending party structures and called on the Progressive Governors’ Forum to stand in solidarity, noting that an attack on one governor amounts to an attack on the institution of governance.
The group further urged party members to rally around Governor Fubara, describing him as the duly elected and recognised leader of the APC in Rivers State. It commended the party’s National Chairman and other senior officials for affirming the governor’s leadership.
The APC Support Group Council said it would continue to monitor developments closely, stressing that its primary objective remains the restoration of peace in Rivers State to allow the governor to deliver good governance and democratic dividends to the people.
“The time for neutrality is over. The time to choose between the party and the individual is here. We have chosen the party,” the group declared.
