NB247
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, saying the Peoples Democratic Party on which he ascended the governorship failed to protect him during his political crisis.
Fubara announced this.on Tuesday at a stakeholders meeting at the government house in Port Harcourt.
“We can’t support President (Tinubu) if we don’t fully identify with him, not just backyard support,” he said while announcing his exit from the PDP.
” Our decision this evening is that we are moving to the APC.”
Rivers State had recently emerged from a severe political upheavals which led to the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday
held confidential discussions with the Governor.
The engagement, held at the State House in Abuja, came against the backdrop of escalating political friction in Rivers State and ongoing uncertainties regarding Fubara’s standing within the PDP.
Fubara however, revealed that his decision to leave the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was driven by the party’s failure to protect him during the recent political crisis in the state.
Fubara said he had sought support from the federal government after facing challenges that threatened his position and political survival.
“I went to see Mr President not just for a personal visit, but for a consultation on state matters. The most important outcome of that meeting is that we now have full support to leave where we were because we didn’t get the protection we needed,” he said.
He explained that the APC offered the support and protection necessary to navigate the political turbulence in Rivers State.
“If President Tinubu had not intervened, there wouldn’t be a Siminalayi Fubara today. We have the people and supporters with us. Our decision is to move to the APC and fully support the President’s second-term bid” he said.
Fubara’s defection is coming on the heels of other defections by governors within the region.
The political realignment is certainly with regards to the 2027 President election.
