Speculation is growing that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara may leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) amid rising political turbulence in the state.
Last Friday, 17 lawmakers loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, formally defected from the PDP to the APC, immediately shifting the balance of power in the State House of Assembly. Meanwhile, the three lawmakers considered loyal to Fubara have not resumed sittings since the six-month emergency rule in the state ended, adding to uncertainties about the governor’s political direction.
Speaking to The PUNCH, PDP chieftain and former House of Representatives member Ogbonna Nwuke suggested that recent political shifts in the South-South region indicate that Fubara could eventually join the ruling party at the centre.
Nwuke, who also served as Rivers Commissioner for Information and represented Etche–Omuma in the National Assembly, noted that defections by governors in Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa—all former PDP strongholds—reflect a broader trend that could influence Fubara.
He said, “Looking at the South-South, PDP-elected governors have left the party. The lawmakers’ defection may have surprised some, but given the crisis in the PDP, it was perhaps inevitable. When a party is plagued by internal disputes, members naturally explore alternatives. The anti-defection provisions in the constitution acknowledge such differences at the national level, and we see clear evidence of this in the PDP.”
Describing the PDP’s recent actions—including issuing an unprecedented “expulsion certificate”—as signs of deep internal turmoil, Nwuke said party members are reacting to divisions not seen in the PDP for a long time.
On the possibility of Fubara joining the APC, he added, “There are rumours that the APC has been courting the governor. Only he can confirm his intentions, but current developments suggest he may consider leaving. If he does, he won’t be the first.”
However, a senior Government House official, speaking anonymously, dismissed the speculation, insisting that Fubara has shown no intention of defecting.
“We are not aware that the governor plans to leave the PDP,” the official said. “Even the lawmakers claiming to have joined the APC have not completed the Supreme Court’s requirement of registering at their wards. Until they do, their claims should not be taken seriously.”
The official added that with the APC’s national convention approaching, anyone planning to join the party would have already shown clear signs—something Fubara has not done. “There is no indication he intends to defect. The APC will soon close its window for new members ahead of the December convention,” he said.
Rivers State PDP factional chairman Robinson Ewor also dismissed the defected lawmakers, insisting the party would reclaim its mandate. “There is no division in the PDP that justifies their defection. What they are holding is the PDP mandate. The party will make efforts to reclaim it,” he said.
When asked about welcoming Fubara to the APC, state party chairman Tony Okocha said the governor has not contacted him. “I am not a soothsayer. If he reaches out, I will advise him to follow his own judgement,” Okocha added.
Meanwhile, tensions persist as the Amaewhule-led Assembly continues to sit at the lawmakers’ residential quarters along Aba Road, despite Fubara’s assurance that the newly reconstructed Assembly complex will be ready this month and that the 2026 budget would be presented there. At a sitting last Friday, Amaewhule also queried the governor’s delay in submitting a full list of commissioner nominees, noting that the state is currently run with only eight commissioners, a move he said contravenes constitutional expectations.
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