By Jerry Needam
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading what is arguably the largest political defection in the state’s history.
The governor made the declaration on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, Port Harcourt, ending months of intense speculation and instantly altering the political map of Rivers State — a stronghold the PDP has firmly controlled since 1999.
In a dramatic political shift, all of Governor Fubara’s loyalists and supporters have moved with him to the APC, signaling a sweeping realignment of grassroots and elite political structures across the state.
Fubara revealed that his decision followed a consultation visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Monday.
He emphasized that the move was in the interest of Rivers State and acknowledged President Tinubu as the decisive force keeping him in office amid the prolonged political crisis in the state.
According to the governor, the PDP offered him “no protection,” while the President consistently provided the stability that sustained his administration.
“We have the full support and the positive nod to leave where we are, because we didn’t get any protection. The reason we are still standing is because of that place,” he declared.
Fubara stated that his defection is a show of gratitude and full alignment with President Tinubu, insisting that partial loyalty is not an option.
“Everyone here who has followed and suffered with me — our decision today is that we are all moving to the APC,” he announced to thunderous applause.
He assured party stakeholders and Rivers residents that he and his followers will stand firmly behind the President.
“We are the ones that will give that support, and we will give it with a loud voice, because we know that the people of Rivers State are with us,” he affirmed. With this historic move, Rivers State — a strategic political battleground — has now swung into the APC column, marking a major victory for President Tinubu and the ruling party ahead of future national political calculations.
