Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) just five days after 17 members of the State House of Assembly also left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling party.
Fubara announced his defection on Tuesday evening at Government House, Port Harcourt, shortly after a meeting with key political stakeholders.
He stated that the move was taken in the interest of Rivers State and after what he described as careful consultation.
The Governor confirmed that he met President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Monday to inform him of his decision, saying he wanted to avoid “any mistake” in navigating the political tensions that have gripped the state for nearly two years.
He praised the President for what he called the “restoration” of his administration following months of turbulence, saying that his loyalty was to Tinubu and the people of Rivers State.
“I know you have been expecting to hear from me. I was with Mr President yesterday to brief him on the situation in our state. The most interesting part of that meeting is that what you have all been waiting for, the signal, has finally arrived,” he told the gathering.
The Governor said the defection would free his administration from “external interference” and enable him to work more effectively with his supporters.
“We have the full support to leave where we are because we didn’t get any protection.
“Without Mr President, there won’t be any ‘His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara.’ It would have been former governor,” he said.
He added that fully identifying with the President meant formally joining the APC rather than offering support “from the backyard.”
Fubara told his supporters that the decision was unanimous among those who had “suffered” with him through the political crisis.
“I’ve not let you down before. I’m not going to let you down now. We know that the people of Rivers State are with us,” he said.
Seventeen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly defected to the APC on 5 December, citing alleged division within the PDP at the national level.
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