Claim:
A claim from SaharaReporters on X handle, formerly known as Twitter with 54.6k views as at time of verifying this post, stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Disqualified Governor Fubara’s Layalists, others from Rivers Assembly Primaries.
Full Text:
“A comprehensive report by the APC Screening Committee, obtained by SaharaReporters, on Monday, reveals that out of 98 aspirants who appeared for the exercise on May 9 and 10, 2026, only 33 were cleared, while a staggering 65 were screened out for various alleged infractions.
“In a move that further deepens the political wedge in Rivers State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified several aspirants perceived to be loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara from contesting the party’s primaries for the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“he lead reason for the mass disqualification was anchored on Article 9.3 of the Party Constitution, which restricts the right to vote or be voted for to “only fully registered and financially up-to-date members.
“However, sources within the party indicate that many of those disqualified are associates of Governor Fubara who recently sought a platform in the APC amidst the ongoing crisis in the state with his predecessor and Minister of the Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike, who had sort to control the state machinery.
“The committee strictly applied the financial membership rule, contending that their nominations were endorsed by persons who failed to discharge their financial obligations to the party, a breach of decorum by Mr. Victor Oko Jumbo, who insisted on entering the screening venue with a retinue of security aides.”
The claim that APC committee disqualifies 32 Fubara-backed Assembly aspirants, clears Wike loyalists was also reported on BusinessDay, and Guardian.
Verification:
The virality of these posts called for a fact-check on the claim to help the public know the fact.
We used Google reverse image and Google search to check if the APC issued an official statement, highlighting that their disqualification was based on political loyalty.
Instead, the party maintains that the affected aspirants were screened out for failing to meet eligibility requirements, including documentation and other criteria set by the party.
The development comes amid ongoing political tensions in Rivers State, where a power struggle persists between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
While the APC’s official explanation points to procedural reasons, the outcome of the screening has been widely interpreted as reflecting the influence of internal political alignments within the state.
Conclusion
There are claims that many aspirants loyal to Governor Fubara were disqualified, while those linked to Wike were largely cleared. This is not confirmed, as the candidates have not voiced their alignments.
Also, there is no official confirmation from the APC that these decisions were based on factional loyalty, making the claim mostly false, lacking explicit institutional acknowledgement.
