The PDP blasted the APC, following the announcement of the defection by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, accusing the ruling party of orchestrating the political crisis that ultimately forced Fubara’s exit.
Speaking at an emergency stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara stated that the PDP could not protect him during the political turmoil in the state. He claimed that without the President, he would have been a former governor. He secured assurances of full support from President Tinubu after his visit to the Presidential Villa on Monday evening.
Our only ‘thank you’ to Mr President is to support him. And we cannot support Mr President in isolation. We can’t support Mr President if we don’t fully identify with him… So we have made that decision today since we’ve gotten the pass – Fubara
Following the announcement, Fubara ordered the removal of the PDP flag from the Government House.
The opposition PDP reacted with concern, accusing the APC of a deliberate campaign to destabilize democratic institutions.
The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, accused the APC of using the apparatus of the Federal Government to obfuscate political life out of their opponents and bring them to their knees.
The party warned that the ruling party is pushing toward a one-party state, arguing that democracy is terribly threatened by such acts.
The PDP expressed pity for Fubara, describing his defection as a case of Volenti non fit injuria (to one who is willing, no harm can be done) and hoped he did not suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, where a victim falls in love with his captor.
Meanwhile, the factional PDP chairman in Rivers State, Robinson Ewor, stated that the defection was nothing new, arguing that the APC had captured the state during the six-month state of emergency, declared March 18, 2025 and that the PDP structure remains intact.
This move follows weeks of political turbulence in Rivers State, fueled by the strained relationship between Fubara and his predecessor, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, which led to the defection of 16 House of Assembly members to the APC just last week.
The APC now controls all six states in the South-South geopolitical zone which includes, Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, and Cross River.
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