Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
He made the declaration on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Explaining his decision, Fubara attributed his political survival to President Bola Tinubu. “The reason why we are still standing is because of that place, and the truth is, without Mr President, there wouldn’t be any His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara; it would have been the former governor,” he said.
Fubara stated that his defection was a show of gratitude and alignment. “So, we have every reason because the truth, let nobody be fooled in this state, we have the people, we have the supporters. Our only thank-you to Mr President is to support him, and we cannot support the President in isolation,” he said.
He added that open endorsement required full affiliation. “We cannot support the President if we don’t fully identify with him, not backyard support. So, we have taken that decision today since we have gotten the pass. Everyone here who had followed me, who had suffered with me, our decision today, this evening, we are moving to APC,” he declared.
Fubara’s move comes four days after the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 17 other lawmakers left the PDP for the APC on December 5. The defecting legislators cited the lingering crisis within the PDP as their reason for leaving.
Among those who joined the APC were Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol (Gokana), Major Jack (Akuku-Toru), Linda Stewart (Okrika), Franklin Nwabochi (Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni), Azeru Opara (Port Harcourt 3), Smart Adoki (Port Harcourt 2), Enemi George (Asari-Toru 2), and Solomon Wami (Port Harcourt 1). Others included Igwe Aforji (Eleme), Tekena Wellington (Asari-Toru 1), Looloo Opuende (Akuku-Toru 2), Peter Abbey (Degema), Arnold Dennis (Ogu/Bolo), Chimezie Nwankwo (Etche), Gerald Oforji (Oyigbo) and Ofiks Kabang (Andoni).
The exodus intensified pressure on Fubara, with political observers predicting his eventual move to the ruling party. The South-South region, long a PDP stronghold, has seen major realignments since the APC’s victory in the 2015 presidential election.
Before Tuesday’s defection, Fubara was the only PDP governor remaining in the South-South following the departure of Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom earlier in the year. Bayelsa’s Governor Douye Diri also left the PDP in November, though he has yet to formally join another party.
Fubara’s switch marks the first time Rivers State will be governed by the APC, breaking the PDP’s dominance since 1999. Analysts trace the party’s decline in the state to former Governor Nyesom Wike’s backing of APC candidate Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election after Atiku Abubakar clinched the PDP ticket. Wike later became Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The strained relationship between Wike and Fubara snowballed into a major political crisis, leading to confrontations between pro-Wike lawmakers and the governor’s camp. The turmoil escalated with the partial demolition of the State Assembly complex and an attempted impeachment of the governor.
President Tinubu intervened on March 18, declaring a state of emergency and suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the lawmakers, while appointing Vice Admiral Ibok Ete (retd.) as administrator. Normal governance resumed on September 17 when the emergency rule ended and Tinubu reinstated all suspended officials.
The internal turmoil within the PDP continues at the national level, with factional disputes, parallel leadership structures and a series of suspensions and counter-suspensions deepening the party’s crisis since the 2023 presidential election.
