BREAKING: Political Earthquake in Rivers — Governor Fubara Dumps PDP, Joins APC After Meeting With Tinubu

Rivers State has been thrown into a new political reality as Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Tuesday officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ending years of loyalty to the opposition party and reshaping the power map in the South-South.

Governor Fubara made the dramatic declaration during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, Port Harcourt, where political leaders, senior government officials, traditional institutions, and civil society groups gathered amid heightened expectations.

Addressing the session, Fubara announced without hesitation:
“Siminalayi Fubara has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
His words were met with a mix of applause, shock, and silent anxiety — a reaction befitting the magnitude of the political shift.

Explaining the motivation behind his move, Governor Fubara said the decision was driven by his desire to secure a stable, conflict-free political environment to deliver on his mandate.

> “We cannot continue to fight endlessly and abandon the real work Rivers people elected us to do. This is a time to focus on governance, development, and unity,” he said.
The governor hinted that internal sabotage, prolonged infighting, and a hostile political climate within the PDP had slowed the pace of development in the state.

Top sources within the APC confirmed that the party is already perfecting plans for a grand welcoming ceremony, expected to take place in Port Harcourt. Party leaders describe the governor’s entry as a huge strategic win that strengthens the APC’s presence in the South-South — a zone long dominated by the PDP.

“Fubara’s defection is a game-changer,” one senior APC official said. “Rivers is symbolic. To have a sitting governor join the APC shows the direction Nigerian politics is taking.”

Early reactions from APC loyalists across the state are brimming with excitement as they celebrate what they see as a major blow to the PDP’s dominance in the region.

At the time of filing this report, the PDP in Rivers State had not issued an official response. However, insiders say emergency consultations are underway at both the state and national levels to assess the political damage of losing a sitting governor.

The defection is expected to further destabilize the PDP, which has struggled to manage the prolonged internal crisis between Governor Fubara and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The governor’s declaration comes 24 hours after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Aso Villa — a meeting that ignited intense speculation about political realignments.

With Tuesday’s announcement, many now believe the presidential meeting played a decisive role in the governor’s final decision.

Governor Fubara has been embroiled in a protracted power struggle with a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly — a crisis that exposed deep cracks within the PDP structure in the state. Attempts to broker peace repeatedly failed, despite interventions from political heavyweights.

Analysts say the governor’s defection marks the latest — and most dramatic — chapter in the ongoing political upheaval in Rivers, a state known for its strategic economic and electoral importance.

Political observers believe Fubara’s move may trigger fresh defections, legal battles, and a scramble for control of the PDP ahead of upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the APC is expected to consolidate its position and leverage the governor’s political structure to expand its influence across the South-South.

For now, all eyes remain on Port Harcourt — where a single announcement has just reshaped the political landscape of one of Nigeria’s most powerful states.