The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Rivers State residents to give overwhelming support to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, highlighting the party’s growing influence in the oil-rich South-South following Mr. Fubara’s recent defection.
The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, made the appeal while addressing party supporters in Rivers, describing the governor’s move to the ruling party as a significant boost to both Mr. Fubara and the APC.
The statement was shared in a video posted on Rivers State Television, although the broadcast did not specify the time and location of the remarks. However, an email from the Rivers State Government House indicated that Mr. Basiru, who led members of the APC National Working Committee to the state, spoke during the commissioning of the Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters in Elimgbu on Monday.
“I congratulate our governor, I congratulate our party, because when the governor is doing well, it simply means that our party is doing well,” Basiru said.
He urged Rivers residents to continue supporting the APC in all elections as a way to back the governor and the party. “The only way you can compensate the governor, compensate our party people of Rivers State, is to continue to vote for our party, the APC, in all elections,” he added.
Basiru expressed confidence that Rivers State would deliver substantial votes for the party in upcoming elections, including the presidency. “And I know that in the fullness of time, in the general election coming, the votes for our party, the vote for our governor, the vote for our president, will be very massive in Rivers State,” he said.
Fubara’s defection shifts South-South politics
Governor Fubara’s defection to the APC has effectively strengthened the ruling party’s control across the South-South, marking a major political shift in a region traditionally dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He joined the APC shortly after meeting President Tinubu, following months of political tensions in Rivers that had put him at odds with his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The crisis previously led to a divided legislature, impeachment threats, and a six-month state of emergency declared by the president.
Since Fubara’s defection, APC leaders have worked to position him as the party’s key political figure in Rivers and an essential electoral asset ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Second-term prospects and automatic tickets
The call for “massive votes” comes amid growing signals that the APC is preparing Mr. Fubara for a second term.
Ita Enang, a former presidential aide and current ambassadorial nominee, told PREMIUM TIMES that there is a consensus within the APC to grant automatic return tickets to governors who join the party. Basiru’s remarks further reinforced this, linking electoral support for the APC directly to continued backing of Fubara’s administration.
His comments indicate that Fubara is not merely a new entrant into the party but a central figure in APC’s strategic plans for Rivers State.
Impact on Wike’s influence
The APC’s endorsement of Fubara could alter the political landscape in Rivers, where Nyesom Wike has long been a dominant force. Party leaders’ open support for Fubara is widely viewed as potentially diminishing Wike’s influence in the state’s politics.
