Fubara confirmed the move in remarks to party faithful and state stakeholders, saying he had taken the decision after consultations with political leaders.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has formally left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), announcing the defection on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara confirmed the move in remarks to party faithful and state stakeholders, saying he had taken the decision after consultations with political leaders.
The announcement comes hours after the governor held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja, a meeting that several national outlets say preceded the defection.
The governor’s switch marks a dramatic turn in Rivers State politics. Fubara, who was restored to office in September after a six-month suspension and a period of emergency rule in the state, had not actively affiliated with the PDP since his return following negotiations that ended the political standoff earlier this year.
The emergency rule, which began in March 2025, was lifted by President Tinubu on September 17, 2025, when Fubara and the state assembly were reinstated.
The defection follows a recent wave of lawmakers crossing to the APC in Rivers, with as many as 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly decamping to the ruling party; a shift that further consolidated APC influence in the state.
Political analysts say Fubara’s defection will reshape the balance of power in the oil-producing South-South state, long considered a PDP stronghold.
Supporters at Tuesday’s event framed the move as a bid to secure federal backing for development projects and shore up stability after months of political turbulence; critics warned the defection could deepen divisions within the state’s politics and further erode the PDP’s presence nationally.