Fubara Backs Chinda As Successor, Says ‘I Have Gone Back To Our Family’

AFRICAN EXAMINER) — Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has endorsed Kingsley Chinda, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, as his preferred successor in the 2027 election.

Fubara made his position known on Wednesday at the commissioning of the Rivers Medical Industries Project in Port Harcourt.

The governor also declared his support for the Rainbow Coalition backed by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and President Bola Tinubu.

“We have made peace in the state, and we have a total agreement,” Fubara said.

He urged his supporters to back Chinda and other candidates supported by the coalition.

“OK Chinda is the governorship candidate that I am supporting, and anybody who believes in me will support him and every candidate under the rainbow,” he said.

Fubara also told his supporters that he had returned to the political camp he described as his family.

“For those of you saying, ‘Fubara, let’s stay, we want to collect something before we run,’ there is nothing to collect. I am already in the family. I have gone back to our family. So please, wherever you are, give your total support to that coalition,” he said.

Chinda, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, emerged as the APC governorship candidate after he was declared the winner of the party’s primary in May.

He reportedly polled 268,497 votes as the sole contestant.

Fubara had initially been screened alongside Chinda for the APC governorship primary but later withdrew from the race, saying his decision was motivated by his conviction and desire to promote peace and unity in Rivers State.

The development followed a prolonged political crisis between Fubara and Wike, which led to attempts by lawmakers loyal to the FCT minister to impeach the governor.

The two political camps eventually reached a truce, bringing an end to the bitter feud and paving the way for renewed political cooperation.