Fubara Defection Rumours Rise Amid Rivers Political Crisis.

There are increasing speculations that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State may leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) amid fresh political unrest in the state.

Last Friday, 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike and led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, announced their defection from the PDP to the APC. 

This move instantly shifted the balance of power in the legislature. Meanwhile, the three lawmakers considered loyal to Governor Fubara have not returned to the Assembly since the six-month state of emergency was lifted, casting further doubt on the governor’s political standing.

Speaking to the media, a PDP elder and former House of Representatives member, Ogbonna Nwuke, said recent defections in the South-South region, including governors in Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa states, suggest that Fubara might soon join the ruling party at the federal level.

Nwuke, who previously represented Etche–Omuma and served as Rivers Commissioner for Information, remarked, “Governors from the South-South elected on the PDP platform are leaving. The defection of Rivers lawmakers may be surprising, but given the crisis within the PDP, it was almost inevitable. When a party is riddled with problems, people naturally seek alternatives. The anti-defection laws recognise national differences, and we see those divisions clearly in the PDP.”

He described recent actions within the PDP, including issuing an unusual “expulsion certificate,” as evidence of deep internal conflict. According to Nwuke, members are reacting to the party’s most serious division in recent memory.

Regarding whether Fubara might join the APC, Nwuke said, “There are reports the APC is courting the governor. Only he can confirm if he plans to defect. But current events suggest he may consider it. If he does, he won’t be the first.”

However, a senior official at the Government House, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied the rumours, stating that Governor Fubara has shown no signs of leaving the PDP.

“We have no information that the governor intends to defect,” the official said. “Also, those lawmakers claiming to have moved to the APC have yet to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive that defectors must register at their wards. Until they provide proof, their claims shouldn’t be taken seriously.”

The official also pointed out that with the APC’s national convention approaching in December, anyone planning to defect would have made their intentions known by now, which Fubara has not.

“There’s no indication he will leave, and he hasn’t told us anything about joining the APC. The party will soon close the door on receiving defectors ahead of the convention. If he wanted to move, we would have seen signs already. Let’s just wait and see,” he added.

Similarly, the factional PDP chairman in Rivers State, Robinson Ewor, dismissed the defecting lawmakers, saying the party is working to regain its mandate.

“I hope they don’t deny it again,” he said. “There is no division in the PDP that justifies their defection. They are holding the PDP’s mandate.”

Ewor promised efforts to bring back the defected lawmakers and to maintain contact with remaining PDP members.

When asked if he would welcome Governor Fubara to the APC, Rivers APC chairman Tony Okocha said he had not been contacted by the governor.

“I’m not a soothsayer. The governor hasn’t reached out to me. If I do get the chance to talk with him, I will advise him to follow his conscience. But let’s not jump ahead,” Okocha said.

Meanwhile, tensions continue as the Assembly, led by Speaker Amaewhul,e meets at lawmakers’ residences on Aba Road, despite Fubara’s assurance that the newly rebuilt Assembly complex will be ready this month and that he will present the 2026 budget there.

At their meeting last Friday, Amaewhule criticised the governor for delaying the submission of a full list of commissioner nominees, noting that the state is currently being governed by only eight commissioners — a situation he said violates constitutional requirements.