Suspended Rivers Governor Fubara Poised to Join APC After Alleged Deal With Tinubu
Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is reportedly set to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after reaching a high-level agreement with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, according to multiple insider accounts. The decision comes after months of sustained political pressure, institutional clampdowns, and federal involvement widely seen as efforts to force Fubara’s alignment with the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sources familiar with the development describe the defection as part of a broader strategy by the Tinubu administration to weaken opposition strongholds across the country. Fubara, entangled in a bitter political feud with his former ally and predecessor, Nyesom Wike, is said to have been cornered politically, with defection presented as his only viable option.
Over the past year, federal institutions—including the judiciary, security forces, and the National Assembly—allegedly acted in concert to sideline the Rivers governor. Threats of impeachment, legal onslaughts, and ultimately his suspension from office followed. In March 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing governance breakdown and rising instability. This led to the suspension of Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and several state officials. Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas was appointed as sole administrator of the state.
The breakthrough reportedly occurred during a discreet meeting between Tinubu and Fubara in London in April. Though the presidency has not confirmed the encounter, diplomatic sources say it was the first direct engagement between the two since the emergency was declared. Fubara is said to have agreed to join the APC in exchange for reinstatement and protection, albeit under conditions that will significantly curtail his influence and autonomy.
Meanwhile, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike—widely regarded as the architect of the crisis—has adopted a more conciliatory tone. In a BBC Pidgin interview, Wike dismissed the notion of a feud, referring to Fubara as “my son” and claiming his only goal was to maintain political order. “I told him, you get the yam and the knife. If you want peace, take it,” he said.
The anticipated defection has sparked backlash from civil society groups and political analysts, who see it as yet another instance of state power being wielded to compel political loyalty. “This wasn’t a negotiation—it was political siege warfare,” said a source close to the matter. “Fubara has been systematically weakened. Rivers State has become a case study in federal overreach.”
Critics warn that the federal government’s handling of the Rivers crisis sets a troubling precedent, raising concerns about the abuse of emergency powers and the erosion of democratic checks and balances. With Fubara’s move to the APC appearing imminent, all eyes are now on other opposition leaders and how they navigate what many fear is a roadmap to a one-party state ahead of 2027.
