Sam Amadi, the former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has offered a blunt assessment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s political standing in Rivers State. According to Amadi, the governor lacked the necessary political clout to overcome his main opponent, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike.
Amadi shared his views on Monday via a post on X, shortly after the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee disqualified all 32 aspirants reportedly aligned with Fubara for the upcoming 2027 Rivers State House of Assembly elections. In contrast, the committee cleared 29 incumbent lawmakers loyal to Wike, including Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol, to participate in the party’s primaries.
“Sad. Fubara should have known he had no leverage. What his opponent does in the political economy of election rigging he cannot do,” Amadi wrote. He added, “Sometimes it is good to fight even if you cannot win. Fighting as a dignified person is enough reward.”
The development comes as Fubara appeared before the APC governorship screening committee at the Plateau State Governors’ Lodge in Abuja on Sunday. When approached by reporters after the exercise, the Rivers governor declined to comment, simply saying “No comment” before departing.