APC drops two Rivers lawmakers, Fubara’s loyalists
May 16, 2026 12:50 am
File: Rivers State Governor Similaye Fubara
By Dennis Naku
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Two serving members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, Awaji Inombek Abiante and Boma Goodhead, have been denied return tickets by the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmakers were disqualified from contesting the party’s primaries scheduled for Saturday (today), alongside two other aspirants, Air Commodore John Opera (retd.) and Anderson Igbiki, who are loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Abiante is one of the prominent Rivers politicians who purchased a governorship form for Fubara.
This was contained in the final list of aspirants released by the party and sent to our correspondent on Friday.
Meanwhile, 21 aspirants, including the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, were cleared by the party to contest the primaries.
Amaewhule, who is vying for the Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, is seeking to replace his kinsman and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda.
The state APC Publicity Secretary, Chibike Ikenga, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Friday, confirmed the list of cleared and disqualified aspirants.
The statement is titled “Final List of Aspirants for the House of Representatives Primary Election for Saturday, 16th May, 2026”.
Ikenga said the list was released by the national leadership of the party and advised aspirants to note and comply accordingly.
The statement partly reads, “You are by this notice informed of the release of the final list of aspirants for the House of Representatives primary election of our great party, the APC, scheduled for 16th May, 2026, as released by the National Leadership of the Party.
“Aspirants are kindly advised to note and comply accordingly. This information must be taken seriously in view of the election as scheduled. Please find attached the list of aspirants who are cleared and not cleared.”
Dennis Naku is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with approximately 19 years of professional experience. He has previously worked with Champion Newspapers and National Mirror Newspaper, reporting across multiple beats. His work reflects extensive newsroom experience and a commitment to professional journalism practice.
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