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Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has described his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as an “easy choice,” saying he was never fully integrated into the opposition party’s internal structure.
Fubara made the remarks on Thursday while speaking with journalists at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, days after officially joining the ruling party in a move that has reshaped Rivers State’s political landscape.
The governor’s defection follows a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, sparked by a fierce struggle for control of the PDP structure between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. The crisis led to heightened political tension in the oil-rich state and eventually drew federal intervention.
In an effort to restore stability, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended both the Rivers State Governor and the State House of Assembly for six months. Fubara was later reinstated in September 2025, after which political realignments within the state intensified.
On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Fubara formally defected to the APC, a decision widely viewed as a strategic move ahead of the 2027 general elections. His defection was followed by the movement of several members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the APC, consolidating the party’s growing influence in the state.
Explaining his decision, Fubara said he had always identified as a progressive and pledged to promote unity within the APC to advance development in Rivers State and Nigeria.
“When you say I am a new member of the progressive family, that is correct, but I have always been a progressive at heart,” he said. “Now that I am a member, I will ensure that I bring everybody together for more unity and progress of the party in the state.”
The governor described his transition as one of the easiest decisions he had made, linking it to gratitude and alignment with President Tinubu’s leadership.
“My joining the APC is to say thank you to Mr President and to join hands with other progressives to develop my state and Nigeria at large,” Fubara said.
Reflecting on his time in the PDP, the governor stated that he was only nominally a member, claiming most of the difficulties he faced were imposed by the party.
“If I have to be honest, was I really a member of the PDP? I wasn’t. I was just on the balcony — I wasn’t inside the house,” he added.
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