PDP downplays fears as Rivers Governor Fubara linked to possible APC defection

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State says it is unshaken by speculation that Governor Siminalayi Fubara may dump the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

State PDP Chairman, Robinson Ewor, told journalists on Tuesday that the governor is entitled to make personal political choices, provided such decisions align with the interests of Rivers people.

“Whatever decision the governor takes is personal. He has every legitimate right to pursue any political interest he deems fit, as long as it serves the people who elected him,” Ewor said.

Speculation about Fubara’s defection has grown since he was recently seen alongside Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, during a visit to President Bola Tinubu at the State House on Monday.

The rumours gained further traction because one of the conditions reportedly included in the peace agreement Fubara signed during the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State was a shift to the APC. The emergency rule, declared on March 18, was lifted on September 18 following mounting pressure from PDP governors and prominent Nigerians, who described the move as unconstitutional.

Ewor, however, dismissed the speculation, insisting that Fubara has not informed the party of any plan to defect.

Observers also noted that in his statewide broadcast after resuming office, the governor failed to acknowledge the efforts of the PDP, despite its legal and political pushback against the federal government’s emergency declaration.

For now, the PDP leadership maintains it is unfazed — but the governor’s silence on the matter continues to fuel political intrigue in Rivers State.