President of the Ijaw Nation, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, has declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara switching from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should not be faulted if it helps resolve the lingering political crisis in Rivers State.
Okaba made the statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, following Fubara’s recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos.
Responding to reports that the governor could defect to the APC, Okaba said, “There’s nothing wrong about that.”
He elaborated on the nature of Nigerian politics, saying, “At this point we must be realistic, and we must have an understanding of the Nigerian politics. We operate a ‘malutocracy’; we don’t have political parties anymore, but platforms for political contestations.”
He said, “What we have are just platforms put together from people to transmit or oscillate from one place to another.
“If we have state governors and former vice presidential candidates of parties just moving on, to the extent that one of the governors said, ‘If you don’t move with me, I will sack you.’”
Okaba also referenced Fubara’s commitment to restoring peace in the state, highlighting the governor’s own words that he “will do anything to bring back peace to the state.”
Earlier this year, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas as the state’s administrator to oversee governance during this period.
