BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has officially joined the growing list of governors who have abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Confirming his defection on Tuesday evening, Governor Fubara said the move was in reciprocity for the overwhelming support Rivers State has received from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The defection ends months of speculation about the governor’s next political move of joining the APC, which many believed was part of a peace deal reached between him and Mr President.
PDP Didn’t Protect Me – Fubara
Offering insights on his decision, Governor Fubara informed a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that the PDP failed to protect him when it mattered most.
He said the latest development was the outcome of a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday at the State House in Abuja
Governor Fubara told the gathering of PDP and APC loyalists that PDP’s failure to protect him during the recent political crisis in the state informed the movement, adding the APC has offered him the required succour and protection.
According to him: “I went to see Mr. President not just for a personal visit, but for a consultation on state matters. The most important outcome of that meeting is that we now have full support to leave where we were because we didn’t get the protection we needed. The struggles we faced were due to the crisis in the state.
“If President Tinubu had not intervened, there wouldn’t be a Siminalayi Fubara today. We have the people and supporters with us. Our decision is to move to the APC and fully support the President’s second-term bid.”
Political commentators are already saying that the governor’s latest move represents a major political realignment in Rivers State will undoubtedly shift the balance and influence the political landscape come 2027 general elections.
