Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has said much of the political turmoil he experienced in his state was imposed on him by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing his time in the opposition party as largely nominal and disconnected.
Speaking on Thursday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national headquarters in Abuja, Fubara explained that his defection to the ruling party was not driven by pressure but by gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who intervened during the crisis.
“If I have to be honest, was I really a member of the PDP? I wasn’t. Whatever I suffered during the political crisis, about 90 percent of it was imposed on me by the party. I was just there in name. During the crisis, I wasn’t part of any group. I was on the balcony, not inside the house,” he said, highlighting the party’s role in shaping the struggles he faced.
Fubara said joining the APC was a natural step to align with his long-standing progressive ideals and to express appreciation to President Tinubu for his involvement during the turbulence.
“My joining the All Progressives Congress is to say thank you to Mr President and to join hands with other progressives to develop my state and Nigeria at large. It wasn’t a difficult decision; it was easy,” he added.
The governor’s defection comes after months of political instability in Rivers State, fuelled by a prolonged struggle with his predecessor, former governor Nyesom Wike, over control of the state PDP structure. The deadlock prompted President Tinubu to suspend both Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months after declaring a state of emergency. Fubara was reinstated in September 2025 and formally joined the APC on December 9.
Adding to the momentum, four members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State also defected to the APC, citing protracted leadership crises and deepening internal divisions within their former parties.
The lawmakers include Boniface Emerengwa (Ikwerre/Emuoha Federal Constituency), Awaji-Inombek Abiante (Andoni/Opobo Federal Constituency), and Boma Goodhead (Asari-Toru Federal Constituency) from the PDP, and Manuchim Umezuruike (Port Harcourt I Federal Constituency) from the Labour Party.
The defecting lawmakers are believed to be politically aligned with Governor Fubara, who said his move to the APC was to support President Tinubu and acknowledged that he would not have emerged governor without the President’s backing.
Several members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who are loyalists of Wike, have also recently crossed over to the APC, signalling a major political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Fubara said his priority now is to unify APC members in Rivers State and provide clear leadership for the party’s growth and development.
“Now that I am a member, I will ensure that I bring everybody together for more unity and progress of the party in the state. There is now a direction, and there is nothing to worry about,” he said.
Speaking later on Thursday while inaugurating the Ogbakiri Roundabout–Ogbakiri Waterfront Road in Emohua Local Government Area in his state, Fubara said that the re-election of President Tinubu is a major assignment for the people of the state, stating that he has the support in the state to deliver the president come 2027.
