PDP Describes Fubara’s Defection to APC as “Pitiful,” Accuses Governor of Ingratitude and Political Amnesia

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sharply criticised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara over his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as “pitiful” and accusing the governor of attempting to shift responsibility for a decision he took willingly.

Governor Fubara on Tuesday announced his exit from the PDP during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt, asserting that the party failed to protect him during the intense political crisis that threatened his tenure. He credited President Bola Tinubu for ensuring he remained governor, saying his move to the APC was a gesture of gratitude to the president.

However, in a swift response, the PDP issued a strongly worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, and authorised by the party’s leadership under Kabiru Turaki. The party dismissed Fubara’s claims, insisting that he alone was responsible for the choices that led to his current political destination.

“Everyone who has followed the developments that culminated in this uneventful defection will recall that the Governor willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination,” the PDP said. “Having done so voluntarily, he cannot turn around and accuse our party, or any other person or group, of abandoning or failing to protect him.”

The statement further suggested that Fubara may be suffering from “temporary amnesia” triggered by the trauma of political pressure, arguing that the governor should instead offer gratitude to the PDP, civil society groups, and Nigerians who publicly defended him until he “capitulated.” The party went on to express concern that the Rivers governor may now be experiencing “Stockholm Syndrome—where a victim falls in love with their captor.”

“We pity the Governor and wish him well,” the statement added.

Beyond its criticism of Fubara, the PDP described his defection as yet another example of the weakening of democratic institutions in Nigeria. The party argued that individuals have grown more powerful than the institutions meant to regulate political conduct, and accused actors within the Federal Government of weaponising state machinery to intimidate opponents into submission.

“Democracy is severely threatened by acts of this kind,” the statement warned. “All well-meaning people should unite in condemning this progressive decline of democratic norms.”

The PDP also accused the ruling APC of pushing Nigeria toward a one-party system, warning that the political space is tightening dangerously. It urged Nigerians and the international community to take note of what it described as an “ignoble path toward electoral authoritarianism.”

Governor Fubara’s defection marks a significant turning point in the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, coming days after Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 17 lawmakers also abandoned the PDP for the APC. With the state’s political landscape rapidly shifting, the crisis continues to deepen national debate over party loyalty, institutional strength, and the future of Nigeria’s democracy.