'You Shall Bear the Consequences of your Choice', PDP Tells Fubara over Defection

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a grave setback for Nigeria’s democracy, warning that the move further tilts the country toward a one-party structure.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the governor’s action was both “unfortunate” and “entirely self-inflicted.”

Ememobong said Fubara’s decision reflected the Latin adage “maxim volenti non fit injuria,” meaning “to one who is willing, no harm is done,” insisting that the governor alone should bear responsibility for the path he chose.

“The governor knowingly pursued the political choices that culminated in his defection. Neither the PDP nor any stakeholder should be blamed for the consequences,” he said.

‘He walked himself to this point’

The party noted that those who followed the Rivers political crisis from the onset would recall that the governor made deliberate decisions that led to his current political alignment.

“Everyone who has followed the developments that culminated in this uneventful defection will recall that the governor willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination,” the statement said.

The PDP added that despite the intense pressures surrounding the Rivers crisis, Fubara should acknowledge the support he received from the party, civil society groups and Nigerians who defended him until he “capitulated.”

“Whilst a person at a crossroad of threats of existential proportion may suffer temporary amnesia caused by trauma, the governor should have nothing less than praise for our party, civil society organisations and all Nigerians who freely stood up in his defence since this crisis started until he capitulated,” Ememobong stated.

Warns against ‘Stockholm Syndrome’

The party also cautioned the governor against aligning emotionally with those it accused of coercing him.

“It is our prayer that the governor should not suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, where a victim falls in love with his captor,” the spokesman added.

Although expressing pity for Fubara, the PDP said it harboured no ill will toward him.

PDP: Nigeria’s democracy under threat

The party stressed that the Rivers episode underscored a deeper dysfunction in Nigeria’s democratic system, one in which individuals wield more power than institutions and use federal influence to suppress opponents.

“The Rivers situation is a testament to the dysfunctional nature of our democracy, where individuals are bigger and stronger than institutions and can use the apparatus of the Federal Government to obfuscate political life out of their opponents and bring them to their knees,” the PDP declared.

Reiterating long-standing concerns, the party accused the ruling APC of working systematically to constrict the political space and entrench dominance.

“With the unrelenting disposition of the ruling party towards the attainment of a one-party state, and the constriction of the political space, democracy is under severe attack in Nigeria.

Everyone must rise together to oppose this ignoble trip toward electoral authoritarianism,” the statement said.

The PDP urged Nigerians, democratic institutions and the international community to remain alert as the country navigates what it called “a dangerous turning point” in its political development.

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Rafiyat SADIQ

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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.