Special Report — Fubara Poised To Dump PDP For APC After Truce With Wike

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is on the verge of announcing his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), authoritative sources at Government House have told Patriotic Insights News.

The planned move follows the recent peace deal that ended his long-running confrontation with his predecessor and erstwhile political benefactor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

The crisis, which erupted in late 2023, escalated after lawmakers loyal to Wike moved to impeach the governor. Tensions peaked on October 29, 2023, when arsonists razed parts of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, hours before the impeachment plot was to commence.

Amid rising instability, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers in March 2025, suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the House of Assembly for an initial six months. Former Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ekwe Ibas, was drafted in as the sole administrator.

The suspended officials were reinstated in September 2025 after the federal government lifted its sanctions, paving the way for political recalibration in the state.

Sources say the governor’s impending defection is driven by a desire to secure firmer political footing, following what insiders describe as a weakened base within the PDP after months of internal strife.

Fubara began his public-service career in the Rivers civil service and rose to Accountant-General in 2020. Backed by then-Governor Wike, he clinched the PDP governorship ticket in May 2022 and won the March 2023 governorship election with over 300,000 votes, defeating APC candidate Tonye Cole and others.

Observers believe the governor’s expected switch to the APC signals a strategic realignment aimed at consolidating influence as Rivers politics enters a new phase.