Fubara: I was never truly PDP as I officially join APC

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that he was never fully a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying most of the political turmoil he faced was orchestrated by his former party.

Speaking on Thursday after visiting the APC national leadership at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, Fubara said about 90 percent of the crisis that engulfed his administration was imposed by the PDP. According to him, he was never deeply integrated into the party’s structure.

“If I must be honest, was I really a member of the PDP? I wasn’t,” Fubara said. “Whatever I suffered during the political crisis, 90 percent of it was imposed on me by the party. I was just there. I wasn’t inside the house; I was on the balcony.”

Describing his move to the APC as natural and seamless, the governor said he had always been progressive in outlook, even before formally joining the ruling party. He assured that his entry into the APC would bring unity, direction, and cohesion to the party in Rivers State.

“Yes, I am a new member of the progressive family, but at heart, I’ve always been progressive,” he said. “Now we have direction. I will ensure that everyone comes together for the unity and progress of the party in the state.”

Fubara added that his defection was one of the easiest decisions he had made, explaining that it was driven by gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and a desire to work with other progressives to develop Rivers State and Nigeria.

“My joining the APC is simply to say thank you to Mr. President and to join hands with other progressives to move our state and country forward. It was not a difficult decision at all,” he noted.

Earlier, while meeting with the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda—represented by the National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru—Fubara said his visit was to familiarize himself with the party’s leadership and operations, stressing the importance of understanding the party from within.

“I have come to my father’s house to see how things are arranged,” he said. “Now that I am here, we will work together to make this party greater. The success of this party is tied to the success of Mr. President, and in Rivers State, we are already showing evidence of that success.”

He assured the APC leadership of the full support of his administration, members of the National Assembly, and the Rivers State House of Assembly aligned with him, describing Rivers State as the party’s new political home.

In his response, Basiru welcomed Fubara to the APC, describing his defection as a major boost to the party’s strength in the South-South region ahead of the 2027 elections. He said the zone had now become fully aligned with the APC, significantly increasing the party’s national political weight.

“With your coming, you complete the circle for us in the South-South,” Basiru said. “The strength of our party has grown tremendously. What was once Power 15 has now become Power 100.”

He emphasized that the APC was disciplined, values-driven, and committed to President Tinubu’s renewal agenda, expressing confidence that the party’s growing national appeal would secure victory in 2027.

“As far as we are concerned, Rivers State will deliver,” he added. “Our goal is to continue building a truly pan-Nigerian political party.”