Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara joins APC, calling his defection an “easy choice” and pledging unity and progress in the state
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara formally joined the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, describing the move as an “easy choice” after years of limited engagement with the Peoples Democratic Party.
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The announcement was made at the APC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, where Fubara spoke with journalists about his defection.
The governor’s departure from the PDP follows a prolonged political struggle with former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike over control of the party’s structure and affairs in the oil-rich state.
President Bola Tinubu intervened in the dispute, suspending both Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months in an effort to ease tensions.
Fubara, reinstated in September, said he had long maintained a progressive outlook and observed PDP affairs only from the “balcony,” rather than being fully involved.
“I wasn’t really a member of the PDP. Whatever I suffered during the political crisis, 90 per cent of it was imposed on me by the party,” he explained.
The governor pledged to foster unity within the APC to drive development in Rivers State and across Nigeria.
“My joining the All Progressives Congress is to say thank you to Mr President and to join hands with other progressives to develop my state and Nigeria at large. It wasn’t a difficult decision; it was easy,” Fubara said.
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The defection comes shortly after several key members of the Rivers State House of Assembly also joined the APC, signalling a significant political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections. Fubara’s move positions him as a leading figure in the ruling party within the state.
