Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is set to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant political shift following months of federal pressure and interference from the Bola Tinubu-led presidency.
Sahara Reporters reported on the development, detailing how Fubara, once backed by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, has been compelled to realign politically with the APC in a bid to retain his position.
According to The Africa Report, the governor’s decision stems from a secret peace deal brokered earlier this year during a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu in London. As part of the agreement, Fubara would rejoin the political mainstream under APC control after being briefly sidelined under a state of emergency declared in Rivers.
Sources interviewed believe the move is part of a broader pre-2027 strategy by Tinubu to consolidate power in key opposition territories. A top government source told The Africa Report, “Fubara is just the latest to fall. Tinubu’s fear of 2027 is real, and he’s clearing the path early.”
Amid the changing political landscape, Nyesom Wike has publicly downplayed his rift with Fubara. Speaking in an interview with BBC Pidgin, Wike said, “Fubara is my son. Why will I fight with him?” He further added, “My fight is with those who want to take a political structure they did not build.”
Observers view Wike’s comments as an attempt to reframe the crisis, now that the federal government has imposed its terms. Many in Rivers State, however, see the developments as a collapse of democratic autonomy in favor of federal coercion.
Fubara has not yet made a formal public declaration of his defection, but reports confirm that internal arrangements are already in motion, and a formal entry into the APC is imminent.
