By The Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, said he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to protect the interest of people of the state.
Fubara announced his defection from PDP yesterday while addressing stakeholders of the state at Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday evening.
Recall that Fubara met President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, in a closed-door meeting on Monday.
His defection helps to consolidate APC’s control of the South South geopolitical region.
Rivers was the last state of six states within the South South geo-political zone that was yet to join the APC.
Before Governor Fubara of Rivers joined the APC, his counterparts in Delta (Sheriff Oboriewvori) Akwa Ibom (Umo Eno) and Bayelsa (Douye Diri) defected to the APC earlier this year.
APC reclaimed control of Edo State after the 2024 governorship election while Cross River has been under the APC control since 2021.
PDP had dominated the geo-political region from over 10 years before the APC made inroad with Edo State under the governorship of Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
Meanwhile, Fubara said he defected to ensure the protection of the people of the state.
Addressing stakeholders of the state at Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday evening, Fubara stated that he is is still the governor of the state because of President Bola Tinubu.
He said, “I know you have been expecting to hear from me and more especially, this meeting that I have to arrange so urgently. But, this meeting will bring a very sweet information.
“You are aware that I went to see Mr. President yesterday and the reason why I went for that visit is not just for personal visit, but a state interest consultation. I don’t want to make an mistake this time around.
“So, I was with the President yesterday to brief him on situation of things in state, which I believe he is going to act on as soon as possible.
The interesting part of the meeting is that what you all have been waiting for, what you have been asking for, the signal has finally arrived.
“We have the full support, we have the positive nod to leave where we are because we didn’t get any protection, to go to where, the reason why we are still standing is because of this place.
“The truth is that without Mr. President, there won’t be any His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. It would have been former governor.
“So, we have every reason because the truth; let nobody be fooled in the state. We have the people, we have the support of the President,” he said.
Reacting however, the national publicity secretary of PDP,
Comrade Ini Ememobong, said
Fubara willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination.
He said the governor cannot turn around and accuse the party, or any other person or group of abandoning or not protecting him.
Ememobong said the governor should have nothing less than praise for PDP, civil society organisations, and all Nigerians who freely stood up in his defence since this crisis started until he capitulated.
“It is our prayer that the Governor should not suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, where a victim falls in love with his captor. In all, despite these, we pity the Governor and wish him well.
“Furthermore, 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. Democracy is terribly threatened by acts of this kind, and all well-meaning people should unify in condemning this progressive decline of democratic norms.
“Finally, we reiterate to Nigerians and the global community that 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,” he said.
