Rivers State PDP accuses Governor Fubara of betraying the party by defecting to APC after failed peace agreements with President Tinubu and amid ongoing political crisis with the State Assembly.
By Peter Imini
The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of betraying both the party and the people of Rivers State by abandoning the PDP during an ongoing political crisis. The allegations were made by Dr. Nname Ewor, a factional Caretaker Chairman of the party, during a news conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The political turmoil in Rivers State began less than a year after Fubara took office, when a face-off with members of the State Assembly plunged the state into crisis. According to Ewor, President Bola Tinubu intervened to broker peace, with specific terms that included Fubara not seeking reelection. The agreement also stipulated that the governor should reinstate Chief Ohna Awuse as Chairman of the Rivers Traditional Rulers Council, remove Tammy Danagogo as Secretary to the State Government, and replace Edison Ehie as Chief of Staff.
However, Ewor alleged that Fubara refused to honor these commitments, leading to the collapse of the peace agreement and ultimately prompting Tinubu to declare a State of Emergency in Rivers. The PDP chairman revealed that Fubara entered into another agreement with Tinubu shortly before the emergency rule was lifted, which eventually resulted in his defection from the PDP to the ruling All Progressive Party.
Following his party switch, Ewor claimed that Fubara began making bold assertions about presidential support. He said the governor boasted that “Tinubu would force the State House of Assembly members to pass the 2026 budget” and that the president “would equally compel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to support his second term reelection bid.”
The PDP chairman emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that “the mandate Fubara is holding was given to him by Rivers people, and all his actions and inactions affects all those whose mandate he is holding.” Ewor called on the governor to disclose the full terms of his agreement with Tinubu before the emergency rule was lifted, arguing that Rivers people deserve to make informed decisions about their political future.
Ewor expressed particular frustration over what he described as deliberate deception. He accused Fubara of misleading party members into attending the PDP Convention in Ibadan while deliberately staying away himself, a matter now before the courts. The chairman characterized Fubara’s defection as fundamentally unjust, noting that “today, Fubara has taken our mandate to the APC, which with all intent and purpose, is unjust.”
The PDP chairman also revealed that he has aligned himself with calls from former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for Tinubu’s reelection in 2027, signaling the complex political realignments taking place in the state. As Rivers State continues to navigate this political crisis, questions remain about the legitimacy of Fubara’s mandate and the ultimate resolution of the conflict between the governor and his former party.