Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has said his decision to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress was driven by a desire to express gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fubara spoke with journalists on Thursday, December 18, at the APC national headquarters in Abuja, where he said the move was not the result of political pressure but a personal decision rooted in appreciation.
According to the governor, aligning with the APC was a natural step, particularly in light of President Tinubu’s role during the political crisis in Rivers State.
“My joining the All Progressives Congress is to say thank you to Mr President and to join hands with other progressives to develop my state and Nigeria at large. It wasn’t a difficult decision; it was easy,” he said.
Fubara added that he had always identified with progressive ideals, even while he remained a member of the PDP.
He also said his membership of the opposition party was largely nominal, stressing that he was never fully integrated into its internal structure.
“If I have to be honest, was I really a member of the PDP? I wasn’t. Whatever I suffered during the political crisis, about 90 per cent of it was imposed on me by the party. I was just there in name. During the crisis, I wasn’t part of any group. I was on the balcony, not inside the house,” he said.
The governor’s defection follows months of intense political turmoil in Rivers State, marked by a prolonged power struggle with his predecessor, former governor Nyesom Wike, over control of the PDP structure in the state.
The crisis prompted President Tinubu to suspend both the governor and the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months in an effort to restore stability.
Fubara was reinstated in September and formally defected to the APC on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
His move came shortly after several members of the Rivers State House of Assembly also defected to the ruling party, signalling a major political realignment in the oil producing state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Fubara said that with his entry into the APC, he would focus on uniting party members in Rivers State and providing clear leadership for the party’s growth.
“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. There is now a direction, and there is nothing to worry about,” he said.