By Ghazali Ibrahim
In a major political twist, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement was made on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, Port Harcourt, where Fubara declared that his administration could no longer operate in isolation while receiving strong support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We cannot continue to pretend. We must boldly identify with Mr. President if we truly want to support him. Not from the backyard, but in the open,” Fubara said.
The move comes just days after more than 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including the speaker, also defected to the APC, signaling a dramatic shift in the state’s political landscape.
Fubara’s defection is seen as a culmination of months of political tension in Rivers, particularly the power tussle between him and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the FCT.
His move to APC is widely interpreted as aligning with the federal government amid ongoing legal and political battles within the PDP structure in the state.
The governor praised President Tinubu for his “unwavering support” during Rivers State’s political crisis earlier in the year and said joining APC would enable him to deliver better governance with federal backing.
Political observers say Fubara’s move may weaken the PDP’s grip on the state and strengthen APC’s influence ahead of the 2027 elections.
The PDP is yet to release an official response.
