Controversies have continued to grow following the absence of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, over the weekend.
While the convention went ahead despite conflicting court orders, the absence of three PDP governors, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Ademola Adeleke of Osun, and Agbu Kefas of Taraba, became one of the major talking points.
Fubara’s no-show carries a different weight, probably because he may be threading with caution in view of the events that have occurred between him and his predecessor, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Attention has remained on his clash, suspension, and the reported truce brokered between him and his predecessor, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
It was also gathered that Fubara boycotted the convention because of his ties to the Wike-led faction of the party.
How APC Attempts to Woo Fubara
Immediately after his suspension, the All Progressives Congress (APC) moved to woo him into the party.
Darlington Nwauju, the reinstated spokesman of the Rivers APC, made the call during an appearance on Channels Television.
Although Fubara has not openly declared any intention to defect, the party’s National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, disclosed in an interview that governors from Rivers, Plateau, Taraba and Abia States are among those being courted by the APC.
“It is a possibility that the Plateau governor will join us, likewise his Taraba counterpart. We are also looking forward to receiving Rivers governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State in our midst,” Arodiogbu stated.
Nyesom Wike, Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s suspended national secretary, Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, were among the party Members expelled by the PDP during Saturday’s National Convention.
READ ALSO: PDP Expels Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others at National Convention
The Party further elected Former Minister of Special Duties, Kabir Tanimu Turaki, as the new national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, one of the PDP leaders expelled at the convention, Abdulrahman Mohammed, described the development as laughable, vowing to carry on with his duties as the Acting National Chairman.
Mohammed was named the Acting chair after the faction loyal to Wike suspended the former National Chairman, Umar Damagum and the entire National Working Committee.
A Governor Under Pressure
A PDP chieftain, Umar Sani, speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, stated that Governor Fubara is politically constrained.
“Fubara has been caged,” Sani stated, suggesting that political landmines laid around the governor have limited his involvement in party activities. According to him, these constraints are a major factor behind Fubara’s absence.
Sani argued that although Fubara did not attend the event, he remains a bona fide member of the PDP until he publicly declares otherwise.
Still a PDP Governor — At Least on Paper
Despite being absent, Fubara’s photograph appeared in the official programme of activities distributed at the Ibadan convention. Sani said this was deliberate and based on procedure.
“He has not come out publicly to say he’s no longer a member of the PDP,” Sani said. “Unless he says otherwise, he remains a PDP governor, and the party recognizes him as such.”
Sani compared Fubara’s silence with the position of Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas.
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Gov. Kefas, who was also absent from the convention, has openly declared his intention to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after completing medical treatment abroad.
“That makes him an outgoing member of the PDP,” Sani said. “Fubara, on the other hand, has made no such declaration.”
Should the PDP Have Reached Out?
Responding to claims that the party should have contacted Fubara ahead of the event, Sani maintained that no special invitation was needed.
“It is an invitation extended to every member of the party. You are invited to come or at liberty not to come. So we don’t have to call him on the phone or do anything other than to invite him,” he said.
Sani insisted the governor remains a bona fide PDP member until he states otherwise.
Growing Uncertainty Within the PDP
Fubara’s absence comes at a delicate moment for the PDP, which is battling leadership disputes, parallel meetings, and accusations of illegality from within its own ranks.
After the PDP dissolved its structures in Imo, Abia, Enugu, Akwa Ibom and Rivers, several state chapters, including Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Imo, have already rejected the Ibadan convention, calling it unrecognised or unlawful.
As the PDP struggles to project unity ahead of the 2027 elections, Fubara’s silence and strategic distance from major party activities raise questions about where he truly stands.
For now, he remains a PDP governor, but his empty seat as well as his other colleagues in Ibadan is a reminder that the party’s internal fractures may be far from healed.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
