Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has justified his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress, saying the move became inevitable after he received no protection from his former party at a time he needed it most.
Fubara made this known on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ gathering held at the Government House in Port Harcourt, where he formally announced his shift to the ruling party.
Speaking at the event, the governor explained that his defection was shaped by his experiences over the past months, noting that he owed his political survival to President Bola Tinubu. According to him, the President’s intervention ensured he remained in office despite intense political turbulence in the state. Fubara said joining the APC was a way of expressing gratitude to Tinubu, stressing that appreciation could not be shown “in isolation.”
“What you all have been waiting for, what you have been asking me—the signal has finally arrived,” Fubara told the gathering, insisting that the needed approval to exit the PDP had finally come. He explained that the PDP failed to provide any form of shield, which made the option of leaving unavoidable. He noted that the place where he now seeks refuge was the reason he still occupies the state’s top office, adding that without the President’s backing, he would have ceased to be governor.
He cited the importance of openly aligning with President Tinubu, describing it as the only sincere way of showing appreciation. The governor maintained that supporting the President required standing with him politically, not indirectly or from a distance. He declared that everyone who had walked with him through recent challenges had agreed to join him in the APC, saying the decision marked a new political direction for his administration and supporters.
Fubara’s decision follows the defection of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 17 other members to the APC on December 5. Their exit was linked to internal disputes within the PDP, which deepened an already intense political rift in the state. Their departure triggered growing speculation that the governor would face heightened pressure to leave the PDP as the crisis expanded.
Reports of mounting tension around the governor intensified after the lawmakers moved, and Tuesday’s announcement confirmed the expectations of many political observers. With Fubara now officially in the APC, the political landscape in Rivers State is set for significant shifts, especially as new alliances begin to take shape ahead of future elections.
What You Should Know
Siminalayi Fubara’s move to the APC signals a major turning point in Rivers State politics, highlighting ongoing tensions within the PDP and the governor’s reliance on President Tinubu’s support during recent political upheavals.
His defection aligns him with the ruling party just days after key lawmakers switched sides, reshaping the state’s political balance. Fubara maintains that the PDP abandoned him during critical moments, while the APC—through the President—provided the backing necessary for him to remain in office.
His shift underscores broader political realignments and deepening party fractures within the state.
