In a dramatic political realignment that signifies a potential end to months of intense internal conflict, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara officially announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday.
The announcement, made during a meeting with government officials at the Government House in Port Harcourt, follows a crucial closed-door consultation with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The defection aligns the state’s executive branch with the ruling federal party, a move the Governor explicitly framed as necessary to fully back the nation’s leadership.
Full Support for the President
Addressing the gathered officials, Governor Fubara explained the rationale behind his decision, stressing the importance of unequivocal solidarity with the federal government.
“The signal has finally arrived,” Governor Fubara stated, referring to the much-anticipated political shift. “Everyone here who has followed me, who has suffered with me, my decision today, this evening is: We are moving to the APC.”
He continued, emphasizing the need for genuine collaboration: “We can’t support Mr. President if we don’t fully identify with him, not backyard support.”
The Governor revealed that his Monday visit to President Tinubu was primarily to “brief him on the situation of things” in Rivers State, and that the “most interesting part” of their discussion was the planned defection. Officials present at the meeting immediately erupted into songs of solidarity for the President and the APC.
Context of the Rivers Crisis
Governor Fubara’s defection comes on the heels of a political crisis that has gripped Rivers State for months, fundamentally driven by a power struggle between the incumbent Governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The political feud, which centered on control over the state’s legislative and political structures, had previously split the Rivers State House of Assembly. While a faction of 27 lawmakers, including the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, remained loyal to Mr. Wike, a smaller four-member faction sided with Governor Fubara.
In a related development that foreshadowed the Governor’s move, 16 members of the Rivers House of Assembly, including the Speaker, had already defected from the PDP to the APC just days prior.
The Presidential Peace Deal
The escalating crisis had previously prompted President Tinubu to declare a temporary state of emergency in Rivers, leading to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all elected officials for six months.
However, in June, President Tinubu successfully brokered a peace deal between the two warring political titans. This intervention led to the termination of the emergency rule and the lifting of the suspension on the elected officials. Both Governor Fubara and the State Assembly members resumed their duties after September 18, 2025, following the President’s formal declaration of the end of the emergency rule.
The Governor’s dramatic defection marks the latest and perhaps most significant move in the complex political chessboard of Rivers State, effectively aligning the state’s political leadership with the center and raising questions about the future political dynamics of the South-South region.
