Defection: Rivers PDP accuses Fubara of deceit

From Tony John, Port Harcourt

The factional Caretaker Committee chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Nname Ewor, has lamented that the State Governor,  Siminalayi Fubara, deceived them to believe that he was capable of wrestling political control from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, only to dump the party at the middle of a political road.

Ewor also said rather than follow the path of peace after the end of the emergency rule, so as to ensure smooth running of government, the governor also boasted that President Bola Tinubu will not only force the State House of Assembly members to pass budget, he would also force Wike to work for his (Fubara) re-election.

The PDP chairman addressed journalists in Port Harcourt on Thursday,   demanding that Rivers people must know the full content of the agreement reached with President Tinubu before the emergency rule was lifted.

He stated: “The mandate he (Fubara) is holding was given to him by Rivers people, and all his actions and inactions affect all those whose mandate he is holding. Therefore, it is incumbent on him at this material time to fully disclose to Rivers people all the agreement he entered into in a peace deal brokered by the president of the Federation before the emergency rule was lifted.

“First, you will agree with me that the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, was elected by Rivers People for a period of four years. Within his first one year in office, there was a disagreement between him and the members of the State House of Assembly. This disagreement led to the bombing of the hallowed Chambers of the Assembly.”

According to him, the events of this disagreement and bombing of the Assembly led to a peace pact brokered by the president, noting that the collapse of the agreement plunged the state into a protracted political crisis, culminating in a declaration of a State of Emergency in March, 2025. 

Ewor added: “During the period of the emergency rule, another round of peace pact was brokered by the president. Unlike the previous peace pact, where an eight-point agenda was signed, the current peace pact was not documented and Rivers’ people were not in the know.

“Again, the peace agreement between the Governor, the FCT Minister and the State House of Assembly collapsed. This led to the defection of the governor from the PDP to the APC in December, 2025.

“As a political party, we challenged the declaration of the State of Emergency in the Supreme Court to protect our mandate. Today, the governor has taken our mandate to the All Progressive Congress, which, with all intent and purpose, is not proper.

“Rather than follow the path of peace so as to ensure smooth running of government, the governor has been boasting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not only force the State House of Assembly members to pass the budget, the President will also force Wike to work for his (Fubara) re-election.”