Port Harcourt, Rivers State – December 12, 2025 – Barely 48 hours after formally defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara has declared himself the authentic leader of the ruling party in the state.
Speaking on Friday morning during the flag-off of the 50-kilometre Elele–Omoku–Ogida Road dualisation project in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Governor Fubara proudly displayed his newly issued APC membership card bearing serial number 001.
“I am not just a member of APC, I am the number 1. I have collected my card and the form is 0001. From this moment, it is no longer ‘e be like say’. I am there with all my chest and heart,” Fubara told the cheering crowd.
He continued: “What is the message? The message is clear. We are going to do everything to make sure that the 2027 election for Mr President will be a smooth drive in Rivers State. No shaking.”
The governor’s registration took place earlier the same day at the Rivers State Government House, where the state APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, personally handed him the membership card on the instruction of the National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda. The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, who witnessed the brief ceremony, described the development as the APC “catching an elephant” in the South-South.
Fubara’s defection was announced on Wednesday, December 10, during a stakeholders’ meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt. Flanked by local government chairmen, traditional rulers, youth and women leaders, the governor explained that he moved to the APC out of gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he credited with saving his administration during the six-month state of emergency declared in March 2025.
“Without Mr President, there would be no His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara today; it would have been former governor,” Fubara said, referring to the political crisis that saw him suspended alongside his deputy and pro-Wike lawmakers after threats of impeachment and the burning of the State House of Assembly complex.
He described his defection as a “spiritual assignment” and a way of repaying the President’s kindness, promising to end the era of “backyard support” that Rivers State had previously given the APC.
The governor’s declaration that he is now “APC 001” has effectively upended the party’s leadership structure in the state. For years, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has been regarded as the undisputed leader of the APC in Rivers, even though he remained a PDP member until recently. Wike’s silence since Fubara’s defection has fuelled speculation that a new power equation is emerging within the state chapter of the ruling party.
Political observers note that the national leadership of the APC appears to have thrown its full weight behind Governor Fubara. The directive from the national chairman that Fubara be registered as member number 001 and accorded the status of leader is seen by many as a deliberate move to sideline Wike’s influence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reactions have poured in from across the political divide. The Peoples Democratic Party, through its National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, described Fubara’s defection as “an inflicted political injury” and accused him of betraying the party that brought him to power. Some PDP chieftains have threatened legal action, arguing that the governor risks losing his seat if the courts rule that there is no justifiable division within the PDP to warrant his defection.
In contrast, APC supporters in Rivers State celebrated the development as a historic homecoming. Youth groups and women organisations at the project flag-off waved placards reading “Welcome Our Leader 001” and “Rivers APC is now complete”. Many believe Fubara’s control of the state’s political structure, security apparatus and financial resources gives him an upper hand in any internal contest for supremacy within the party.
Civil society organisations have expressed mixed feelings. While some hailed the defection as ending a destructive political war that paralysed governance for much of 2025, others warned that it further entrenches one-party dominance and could stifle opposition voices in the state.
As Governor Fubara continues to consolidate his hold on the APC machinery in Rivers State, political watchers say the coming weeks will reveal whether the fragile peace between him and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, will hold — or whether the battle for control of the soul of Rivers politics has simply moved to a new arena.
For now, the message from Government House, Port Harcourt, is unambiguous: Siminalayi Fubara is in charge, and he intends to deliver Rivers State decisively for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
