Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has formally switched from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor made the declaration on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ gathering at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Speaking at the forum, Fubara stated that the move was driven by his intention to fully align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We can’t support President Tinubu if we don’t fully identify with him, not just the backyard support,” he said. “So we have taken that decision here today that everyone who has followed and suffered with me, the decision this evening is that we are moving to the APC.”
The declaration followed reports that Governor Fubara met with President Tinubu a day earlier at the State House, Abuja.
Fubara’s switch adds to an expanding list of PDP governors who have recently defected to the APC, including Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, and Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Siri.
Fubara’s defection represents another significant shift in Rivers State’s ongoing political tensions. Earlier in March, President Tinubu imposed a state of emergency in the state after escalating political frictions arising from a rift between the governor and members of the state House of Assembly. The President then suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected Assembly members for six months, naming retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas—now an ambassador—as the state’s temporary administrator.
After the suspension ended, Governor Fubara returned to his position, calling the emergency period a tough yet essential step to maintain stability. In a statewide announcement, he committed to advancing unity and reconciliation throughout the state.
