PDP slams APC over Fubara’s move to defect

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday strongly criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, accusing the ruling party of engineering the political turmoil that eventually forced him out of the PDP.

Responses poured in from PDP leaders across both the state and national levels, with party officials insisting that Fubara’s departure neither weakened the PDP nor affected its structure in Rivers State.

Fubara formally announced his move to the APC on Tuesday.

By switching sides, Fubara joined the governors of Delta (Sheriff Oborevwori), Akwa Ibom (Umo Eno), Enugu (Peter Mbah), and Bayelsa (Duoye Siri), all of whom also recently abandoned the PDP.

With this latest defection, the APC now controls all six states in the South-South region — Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Cross River.

Speaking at an emergency stakeholders’ meeting in Government House, Port Harcourt, Fubara explained that he left the PDP for two main reasons: the party failed to shield him during the crisis in the state, and he believed he still occupied the governor’s seat only because of President Bola Tinubu’s intervention.

The meeting, which came barely a day after his visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was convened, according to Fubara, in the “best interest of the state.”

He stated that he received firm assurances of support from President Tinubu during their Monday meeting and felt indebted to him for what he described as his continued political survival.

Fubara added that the President’s backing strengthened the state’s resolve to align with Tinubu’s leadership, noting that Rivers State had the numbers and influence to stand firmly by the President.

He further explained that his visit to Tinubu was part of an effort to avoid falling into political traps set for him, stressing that he went to Abuja to update the President on the situation in Rivers State.

He told stakeholders, “I know you have been expecting to hear from me, especially after my visit to Mr President. I can assure you that this meeting will end with good news.

“My visit was not a personal one. It was a consultation in the interest of our state. I do not want to repeat any mistakes or step into traps laid for us. So I briefed Mr President on the true situation of things, and he has promised swift action.

“But the highlight of the meeting is what many of you have been waiting for. The signal has come at last. We now have full approval to leave where we are, since we did not get protection there.”

Fubara declared that without Tinubu’s intervention, he would no longer be in office, insisting that he owed the President public support—and that such support could not be given “from the sidelines.”

He announced, “Everyone who has stood by me through this struggle—today, we are moving to the APC.”

Immediately after his declaration, the hall erupted into chants of “On your mandate we shall stand,” with the governor joining in. He then ordered the PDP flag to be taken down from the venue.

“Please remove this PDP flag,” he said. “We no longer need it here. Now that our new political direction is clear, we will begin all necessary formal procedures. Thank you all for standing by me. I will not let you down.”

Present at the meeting were the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benibo Anabraba; his predecessor, Dr Tammy Danagogo; former Nigerian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Oji Ngofa; and several former local government chairmen who served under Fubara.

In its reaction, the PDP said the political events in Rivers State highlight the weaknesses of Nigeria’s democratic system, where individuals wield more power than institutions and can deploy federal might to crush political opposition.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in a statement signed on behalf of the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee, warned that Nigeria’s democracy was deteriorating rapidly.

He accused the APC of relentlessly pushing Nigeria toward a one-party state and shrinking democratic space.

“Democracy is under serious threat,” he said. “These actions represent a dangerous erosion of democratic values. All patriotic Nigerians must unite to reject this drift towards electoral authoritarianism.”

Ememobong argued that Fubara’s political situation was ultimately his own doing, insisting that he consciously made decisions that led to his current fate.

He suggested that the governor might be experiencing “Stockholm Syndrome,” becoming sympathetic to those he once saw as opponents.

The statement read, “The governor’s defection is unfortunate but unsurprising. He deliberately took the steps that brought him here. Having acted willingly, he cannot accuse the party or anyone else of failing to protect him.

“We hope he is not falling into Stockholm Syndrome. We pity him nonetheless and wish him well.”

Meanwhile, the factional PDP chairman in Rivers State, Robinson Ewor, said Fubara’s defection meant little, claiming that the governor had effectively abandoned the party long before Tuesday’s announcement.

Speaking to The PUNCH, Ewor argued that the APC had already taken control of the state during the period of emergency rule, having conducted local government elections, dissolved existing boards, and installed its preferred officials.

He insisted that the emergency rule declared earlier in the year was politically motivated, aimed at securing the APC’s dominance, not addressing any genuine crisis.

Ewor said, “As far as I’m concerned, Fubara has been gone for a long time. The APC had already captured the state. If he had stayed in the PDP, he would have been irrelevant.”

However, he maintained that the PDP in Rivers State remained intact.

“PDP is still here. I’m still in PDP. There are other PDP members. The party exists in many states where governors defected. It will continue to exist in Rivers State too.”

The conflict between Fubara and his predecessor, now FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, intensified earlier this year, escalating into a broader political standoff that culminated in President Tinubu declaring a state of emergency in March 2025.

Tinubu suspended Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the state legislature for six months and appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas as sole administrator, citing the need to restore stability.

Even after the emergency rule ended in September, tensions remained.

On December 5, 2025, 16 PDP lawmakers defected to the APC, supporting Tinubu’s reelection bid. Shortly after, 22 out of 23 local government chairmen also pledged support for the President.

During the LGA elections conducted under Vice Admiral Ibas, the APC won 20 councils, leaving only three for the PDP.

A former House of Representatives member, Ogbonna Nwuke, told The PUNCH that Fubara’s move to the APC was likely a response to the shifting political realities in the South-South region.

Source: PUNCH