Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He made the declaration during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt. Fubara’s move comes four days after the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, …
Fubara Finally Bows to Pressure, Dumps PDP for APC
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He made the declaration during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Fubara’s move comes four days after the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 16 other lawmakers left the PDP for the ruling APC.
The lawmakers had cited persistent internal crises within the party as the reason for their exit.
READ ALSO: APC Targets Fubara As Emergency Rule Ends
Those who defected include 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 are 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 mass resignation of the Speaker and key members of the Assembly had heightened pressure on Governor Fubara to also pitch his tent with the APC.
Political Shift in South-South
The South-South zone, long considered a strong base of the PDP since 1999, has witnessed significant realignments since the party lost the 2015 presidential election.
Fubara was the last PDP governor in the region after the recent defections of Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom to the APC earlier in the year.
READ ALSO: Rivers: PDP Cautions Fubara Against Defection, Demands Probe of Interim Rule
In November, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri also resigned from the PDP, although he has yet to announce a new party affiliation.
Declining Grip of PDP in Rivers
Fubara’s defection marks the first time Rivers State will have an APC governor, ending the PDP’s 26-year dominance in the state.
Analysts trace the party’s declining influence to the fallout that followed former governor Nyesom Wike’s open support for APC candidate Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
Wike’s stance, considered by many in the PDP as anti-party activity, strained relations within the opposition party.
President Tinubu later appointed Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
A prolonged rivalry between Wike and Fubara split the political structure in the state, sparking a crisis that saw the demolition of the State Assembly complex and an attempted impeachment of the governor.
The tension prompted President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, suspending the governor, his deputy, and the lawmakers. He also appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete as administrator.
With the emergency rule ending on September 17, the President reinstated Fubara, his deputy, and the lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the PDP continues to grapple with internal leadership disputes following the 2023 presidential election, leading to the emergence of rival factions and expulsion battles at the national level
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.
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