Why I Dumped PDP-Fubara

By Emmanuel Kwada 

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), openly crediting President Bola Tinubu for shielding him from the relentless political onslaught orchestrated by his predecessor and political godfather-turned-rival, Nyesom Wike.

The move, announced during a charged stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, marks the first time the oil-rich South-South state will be led by an APC governor since the return to democracy in 1999.

Fubara, whose administration has been mired in a brutal power struggle with Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)bdid not mince words about his reasons for the defection.

“I ran to Mr. President [Tinubu] for protection from Wike,” the governor declared, his voice steady amid applause from loyalists. “The PDP failed to protect me when I needed it most.

Without Tinubu’s intervention, there wouldn’t be a Governor Fubara today—it would have been the former governor calling the shots.”

He recounted how the PDP, once a bulwark against federal overreach, abandoned him during the height of the crisis, leaving him vulnerable to impeachment attempts and legislative sabotage by Wike-aligned forces.

The announcement came just 24 hours after a closed-door meeting between Fubara and President Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, where the governor reportedly secured the APC’s full backing.

Sources close to Fubara’s camp revealed that the defection was a calculated preemptive strike to seize control of the APC’s structure in Rivers State before Wike could consolidate his influence there.

“This is about reciprocity for the overwhelming support Rivers has received from Mr. President,” Fubara told the gathering of party chieftains, local government leaders, and supporters. “It’s better for us to move from where we are to where it’s better for Rivers State.”

A Bitter Feud: From Allies to Adversaries

The rift between Fubara and Wike, both Ijaw natives from Rivers, erupted shortly after Fubara’s inauguration in May 2023.

Initially handpicked by Wike as his successor during the PDP primaries where Fubara clinched a landslide victory with Wike’s endorsement, the alliance frayed over disputes on state resource control, appointments, and political leverage.

What began as whispers of betrayal escalated into open warfare: Wike’s loyalists in the 32-member Rivers State House of Assembly launched impeachment proceedings against Fubara in October 2023, leading to the arson attack on the assembly complex that same night.

The crisis peaked in March 2025 when President Tinubu declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers, suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all assembly members.

Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) was appointed administrator amid fears of total state collapse. Tinubu’s direct intervention, including brokered peace talks, reinstated the officials in September 2025, but the truce was fragile.

Fubara has since accused Wike of weaponizing federal connections stemming from Wike’s controversial 2023 endorsement of Tinubu despite being a PDP stalwart to undermine his government.

Recent defections amplified the pressure: On December 5, 17 Wike-aligned lawmakers, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, bolted from the PDP to the APC, tipping the assembly’s balance and isolating Fubara further.

Analysts say Fubara’s swift move to the APC neutralizes this threat, positioning him as the party’s de facto leader in the state and potentially sidelining Wike, whose influence in Abuja has reportedly waned amid ongoing PDP infighting.

PDP’s Scathing Rebuttal: “Self-Inflicted Amnesia”

The PDP wasted no time in firing back, with National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong labeling Fubara’s exit a “self-inflicted injury” born of “amnesia caused by trauma.”

In a statement released late on Tuesday, the party denied abandoning the governor, insisting he “voluntarily walked into the trap” of his own making. “We pity him,” Ememobong said, warning that the defection exposes the fragility of Nigeria’s democratic institutions and signals a slide toward authoritarianism under Tinubu’s APC.

PDP chieftains, already reeling from Wike’s anti-party activities, fear this could trigger a domino effect, with whispers of other governors eyeing exits ahead of the 2027 polls.

As Fubara settles into his new APC fold, one thing is clear: the “emperor of Rivers,” as Wike once styled himself, faces a humbled throne. For the governor, it’s a declaration of independence; for Nigeria’s opposition, a stark reminder that loyalty in politics is as fluid as the Niger Delta’s creeks. With 2027 looming, the real battle for Rivers’ soul has only just begun.