* Gov. Adeleke joins Accord Party
Barely 24 hours after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced his formal defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defection, widely predicted by political watchers, was announced on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
This move came just days after a mass exodus from PDP by 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, last Friday.
While announcing his decision to dump the umbrella, Fubara said he was driven by gratitude for the “overwhelming support the state has received” from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the federal government.
Addressing his cheering supporters, the Governor said: “We can’t support Mr President if we don’t fully identify with him; not backyard support”.
The move marks a dramatic twist in a political crisis that has gripped Rivers for more than two years, pitting Fubara against his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The once cordial relationship collapsed shortly after Fubara assumed office in 2023, spiralling into a fierce battle for control of the state’s political machinery.
By late 2023, the confrontation between Fubara and Wike-backed lawmakers reached a boiling point. The Rivers State House of Assembly complex was partly demolished in the heat of the standoff, symbolizing the depth of the crisis.
Matters worsened in March 2025 when President Tinubu imposed a state of emergency on the state, suspending the governor, his deputy, and the entire House of Assembly, and appointing a retired naval officer as sole administrator.
The federal action drew sharp condemnation from the PDP, which labelled it unconstitutional and politically motivated.
Tinubu lifted the emergency rule on September 17, 2025, reinstating Fubara, his deputy, and the lawmakers in what many analysts saw as part of a wider reconciliation strategy.
At the same time, the APC in Rivers had intensified its wooing of the governor, reportedly offering him leadership of the state chapter and suggesting that the party’s power structure would be reorganized around him.
Despite repeated denials earlier in the year—including a statement in April 2025 asserting Fubara’s loyalty to the PDP, where he served as Deputy Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum—rumours of defection persisted.
Internal divisions within the PDP, particularly claims by Rivers leaders that they were sidelined from national consultations, further deepened the cracks.
Fubara’s eventual defection deals a major blow to the PDP in Rivers, a state it has dominated since 1999. Political observers say the shift could reshape the balance of power in the South-South and alter national political alignments ahead of future elections.
Announcing his move, Fubara framed it as a gesture of reciprocity toward President Tinubu’s support, signaling what may be the beginning of a new political order in the oil-rich state after years of turbulence.
Meanwhile, the crisis which was precipitated by apolitical battle of wits between Fubara and Wike, is believed to have culminated to the defection by the Governor as part of a peace deal.
This development is now part of a broader shifting of political alliances in the South-South region as the defection could reshape governance in Rivers State, and potentially influence outcomes in upcoming national elections.
Leaders of APC in Rivers have already welcomed Fubara, stating he would be “gladly received” and likely elevated to a prominent role in the state’s party structure.
On the other hand, many in PDP have described the move as a blow, highlighting concerns over party cohesion and future relevance in the oil-rich state.
Also on late on Tuesday, Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, formally joined the Accord Party, few days after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Adeleke announced his defection to the Accord in a statement posted on his X social media handle.
“Today, we unveiled the Accord Party, our new platform for the good people of Osun State. From Osun West to Osun East to Osun Central, this is our party, our new platform for victory come August next year,” he wrote.
Also, Accord Party flags were flying outside the Osun State Government House, where Governor Adeleke was reportedly meeting with leaders of his former party.
Adeleke left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a leadership crisis within the party.
In November, Governor Adeleke announced his resignation from the PDP.
The resignation, contained in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in Sagba/Abogunde Ward 2, Ede, Osun State, cites the ongoing national leadership crisis within the party as the reason for his decision.
In the letter, Governor Adeleke expressed gratitude to the PDP for the opportunities afforded him, including his elections as Senator representing Osun West and as Governor of Osun State under the party’s platform.
The letter reads, “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.
“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”
The letter was acknowledged by the party chairman on the same day it was written.
