APC Primaries: Amaewhule, Wike’s Loyalists Clinch Reps Tickets in Rivers

The All Progressives Congress has declared the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as winners of the party’s House of Representatives primary elections held across the 12 federal constituencies in the state.

The Returning Officer for the state APC primary election committee, Wahab Owokoniran, announced the results on Saturday night at the party’s secretariat in Port Harcourt after collation officers submitted their reports.

Amaewhule, who was the sole aspirant for the Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency 1, secured 17,968 votes and was returned unopposed as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general election.

Declaring the result, Owokoniran stated that the Speaker met all requirements of the APC constitution and guidelines, having scored the highest number of votes.

In other results, Port Harcourt Federal Constituency saw sole aspirant Igwe Precious poll 5,885 votes to emerge winner, while in Khana/Gokana federal constituency, the incumbent House member Dumnamene Dekor defeated his rival Israel Ngbuelo with 17,073 votes against 1,220 votes.

Cyril Hart won the Degema-Bonny federal constituency ticket after scoring 7,203 votes, defeating Philemon Tombodiea who managed 1,020 votes.

Felix Nweke emerged as the sole candidate for Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo federal constituency with 18,605 votes, while Isobo Solomon defeated Luke Enerine in Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru federal constituency, polling 11,303 votes against 954 votes.

Other declared winners included Chukwuemele Obuzor for Ahoada West-Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni (15,626 votes), Fredrick Apiafi for Andoni-Opobo-Ndoni (8,550 votes), Chibuzor Nwamaka for Etche-Omuma (10,414 votes), Joy Nyebuchi for Ikwerre-Emuoha (13,704 votes), Blessing Amadi for Port Harcourt Constituency 2 (5,674 votes), Linda Steward for Okrika/Ogu-Bolo (12,247 votes), and Solomon Bob for Abua-Odual/Ahoada East (16,079 votes).

Owokoniran noted that all 13 federal constituency results had been declared, expressing surprise at the peaceful conduct of the exercise contrary to widespread perceptions of Rivers State as a crisis-prone area.

The state APC Publicity Secretary, Chibike Ikenga, advised winners to remain humble in victory and urged those who lost to see the outcome as not the end of their political aspirations. He added that the party has mechanisms to unite members ahead of the general elections.

The primary election produced candidates who are known loyalists of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, including members of the Rainbow Coalition, a political strategy aimed at uniting APC and PDP supporters behind President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027.