Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s formal entry into the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday has reshaped the political map of Rivers State and altered the balance of power in Abuja.
Coming after months of open hostilities with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, Fubara’s defection is more than a partisan shift—it is a strategic recalibration with far-reaching consequences.
The most immediate gain for Fubara is federal protection. His running battle with entrenched political forces in the state had left his administration vulnerable. By aligning with the ruling party, the governor now enjoys the weight of the Presidency and APC machinery behind him. This backing is expected to strengthen his grip on government institutions, calm the turbulence around the House of Assembly crisis, and give him breathing space to govern.
He also secures direct access to federal resources and development channels. Rivers is too strategic—economically and politically—for the APC to neglect. With his new membership card, Fubara can now negotiate infrastructure funding, security support, and federal partnerships from a position of legitimacy rather than opposition. For a state grappling with internal unrest and infrastructural deficits, this alignment could prove transformative.
Politically, Fubara has repositioned himself ahead of the 2027 equation with the prospects of renegotiating the terms of his recent accord with Wike. One of the alleged terms of the peace with Wike is the claim that he should not seek a second term. Having now drifted to the APC even before Wike, Fubara will be in a better position to seek a second term irrespective of the terms of the agreement with Wike.
The APC has long sought a foothold in the South-South, and delivering Rivers—one of the region’s biggest prizes—immediately elevates him within the party hierarchy. In return, he is expected to secure a stronger pathway to his second-term ambition, as well as key federal appointments for his loyalists.
