Wike Dismisses Claims Against Chinda, Says INEC Will Publish Candidates In July

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that his preferred candidates for the 2027 elections in Rivers State have been removed by the court.

Wike urged those making the claims to wait until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) publishes the final list of candidates submitted by political parties in July.

Naija News reports that the minister spoke while reacting to political developments in Rivers State, particularly the controversy trailing recent court decisions affecting the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the state and candidates who emerged from the party’s primaries.

According to him, those claiming that candidates backed by his political camp had been dismissed should stop speculating and wait for INEC’s official publication.

“In July, the candidates of the parties will be published by INEC. Let us wait till July. We are tired of hearing from people who have lost out,” Wike said.

The controversy followed a court ruling in Rivers State, which reinstated Emeka Beke’s leadership and declared the nominations from the recently concluded party primaries in the state null and void.

The primaries had produced Kingsley Chinda, an ally of Wike, as the governorship candidate after Governor Siminalayi Fubara withdrew from the race.

Several other allies of the FCT minister also emerged as candidates of the APC for the 2027 National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.

However, the court decision has created fresh uncertainty within the Rivers APC, with some members insisting that the primaries conducted under the disputed leadership structure cannot stand.

The development was further strengthened after Justice Elfreida Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, reportedly upheld the judgment of the Rivers State High Court, which nullified the congresses that produced Chief Tony Okocha as chairman of the APC in the state.

Wike Faults Beke’s Position

Reacting to comments credited to Beke over the alleged dismissal of candidates in what has been described as the Rivers State rainbow coalition, Wike said Beke did not properly understand the issues involved.

The former Rivers State governor advised him and others making claims about the fate of APC candidates to remain patient until INEC makes the official list public.

Wike maintained that until INEC releases the names of recognised candidates, those speaking on the matter were only engaging in speculation.

The minister’s comment comes amid growing tension in Rivers State politics ahead of the 2027 elections, with different camps laying claim to control of party structures and candidate nominations.

Wike also spoke on the protest by teachers over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.

He expressed concern over the abduction of citizens, regardless of their profession or location, saying the safety of Nigerians should remain a priority.

The minister, however, warned against politicising the incident, noting that insecurity should not be reduced to partisan arguments.

According to him, the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers was a serious national concern that should be addressed with sincerity rather than political blame games.

He maintained that while Nigerians had a right to demand action from government and security agencies, the tragedy should not be exploited for political advantage.