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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has formally left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The announcement came on Tuesday evening, ending weeks of speculation about his political future.
According to Fubara, the decision reflects gratitude for “the overwhelming support the state has received from Bola Tinubu and the federal government.”
The defection is a major development in a saga that has held Rivers politics in suspense for over two years. Tensions within the state originally between Fubara and former governor-turned-FCT Minister Nyesom Wike erupted after Fubara’s ascension as governor in 2023. The dispute quickly escalated into a full-blown power struggle over control of Rivers political structures.
By late 2023, the State Assembly had turned violent as its complex was partially demolished.
The crisis deepened in March 2025, when President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers. The move led to the suspension of Fubara, his deputy, and the entire House of Assembly. A retired naval officer was appointed as sole administrator, effectively displacing all elected officials.
The federal intervention triggered widespread backlash from the PDP, which condemned the action as unconstitutional. The party insisted that the state of emergency lacked any basis in the 1999 Constitution.
On September 17, 2025, Tinubu lifted the emergency rule and reinstated Fubara, his deputy, and the lawmakers a decision that appeared to be part of a broader reconciliation effort.
Prior to the reinstatement, the state chapter of the APC had begun to publicly woo Fubara. The party reportedly dangled the offer of leadership of the Rivers APC as an inducement, hinting that the governorship and state power structure could shift under a renewed alignment with the centre.
Observers interpreted the overtures and the pace of reconciliation as signs that Fubara may soon formally abandon the PDP.
For months, Fubara had publicly refuted defection rumours. As recently as April 2025, his spokesperson insisted the governor remained fully committed to the PDP and even retained a role as Deputy Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
But in recent weeks, internal strife at the national level had deepened within the party. Leaders in Rivers PDP have claimed they were excluded from key national consultations a clear symptom of the widening rift.
By joining the APC, Fubara signals a shift of power in Rivers, a state long regarded as a PDP stronghold since 1999.
In his announcement, Fubara said the move is in reciprocation for the “overwhelming support” from President Tinubu, a gesture that seems to formalize the political rapprochement. The defection may mark the end of a long struggle for control of Rivers’ political structures and begin a new chapter under APC’s banner.