LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)-Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has formally aligned his political future with President Bola Tinubu, pledging to deliver the state for the president’s reelection in 2027 following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor made the declaration on Friday at the Government House in Port Harcourt after receiving his APC membership card from the party’s state chairman, Tony Okocha. With the card in hand, Fubara announced his readiness to assume leadership of the ruling party in Rivers State and take responsibility for its growth and stability.
Positioning himself as the party’s chief mobiliser, Fubara said he would ensure the APC remains active and cohesive across the state. He stressed that caring for the party structure, including its state executive, would now fall squarely on his shoulders.
“We will do everything to keep APC as the main and active progressive party in Rivers State. It is my responsibility from this minute to ensure that the party is properly taken care of. I assure you that every need of the executive, every need of the party in this state, becomes my responsibility,” he said.
The move comes days after the governor dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, shortly after 17 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly also joined the APC. According to Fubara, leading the ruling party would make it easier to galvanize support for Tinubu’s second-term bid in the oil-rich state.
Explaining the motivation behind his defection, Fubara said the decision was driven by the broader interest of Rivers State and the need for alignment with the Federal Government. He described the move as a political gesture of gratitude to Tinubu.
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“We can’t be doing our own here and going on a different course from the Federal Government, the ruling party. There is every reason to support Mr President… I took this decision as my own return of favour—clearing the bush to ensure that his reelection in 2027 will be easy and smooth in this state,” he said.
At the flag-off of the By-pass to Port Harcourt International Airport and Toll Gate Road project, the governor went further, declaring himself the “001” of the APC in Rivers.
“I am the number one. Listen, I have collected my card and the number is 001. The message is clear. We’re going to do everything to make sure that the 2027 election for the president will be a smooth ride in Rivers State,” Fubara said.
Also, the Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, who officiated the road project, praised Fubara’s decision to join the APC, describing it as a major boost for the ruling party. He also commended the governor for addressing long-standing infrastructure challenges around the Port Harcourt International Airport.
“For us in the aviation industry, you have solved one of our biggest problems,” Keyamo said, adding that the road upgrade would improve the first impression of visitors arriving in the state.
Keyamo described Fubara as “an elephant and the latest catch,” noting that his defection further strengthens the APC’s dominance in the South-South geopolitical zone.
With political lines now redrawn in Rivers State, Fubara’s declaration signals a new phase of intense mobilisation ahead of 2027.
