BREAKING: Mass Exodus As 23 LG Chairmen Loyal to Governor Fubara Dump PDP Ahead of Local Government Elections

Mass Exodus As 23 LG Chairmen Loyal to Governor Fubara Dump PDP Ahead of Local Government Elections

 

In a significant political shake-up ahead of the October 5, 2024, local government elections in Rivers State, all 23 caretaker local government chairmen loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara have defected from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the Action People’s Party (APP).

 

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The mass defection marks a dramatic shift in the state’s political landscape as tensions between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, continue to deepen.

 

Governor Fubara and Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, have been embroiled in a political dispute over control of the PDP structure in Rivers State. Speculation that Fubara might abandon the PDP has grown in recent weeks, with reports suggesting that Wike’s influence over the party in the state has sidelined the governor and his allies.

 

However, Fubara has publicly denied any plans to leave the PDP, reaffirming his commitment to the party while meeting with the Board of Trustees of the PDP, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, in Port Harcourt.

 

Despite the governor’s reassurances, his loyalists—many of whom serve as caretaker committee chairmen—have defected to the APP, signaling a strong shift away from the PDP. Notably, nearly all candidates for chairmanship and councillorship positions in the upcoming local government elections are now running under the APP banner.

 

One prominent defector is Ezebunwo Ichemati, the caretaker committee chairman of Port Harcourt City Council. Ichemati has launched his campaign for a substantive chairmanship position under the APP, with his billboards and posters now visible across the city.

 

In a recent speech, Ichemati pledged to provide “credible leadership” if elected and promised to focus on the state’s development, while avoiding negative campaigning.

 

Similarly, Khana Local Government Area’s caretaker chairman, Marvin Yobana, has also officially announced his defection to the APP. Yobana, who was not endorsed by Governor Fubara for the upcoming election, introduced his preferred successor, Martins Ibibo, at a public event in Khana, stating that Ibibo would be the next executive chairman of the local government if elected.

 

The APP is making significant inroads in Rivers State, with its candidates’ campaign posters now seen in various parts of the state. The party’s state chairman, Sunny Wokekoro, expressed confidence in the APP’s chances in the local elections, describing it as “the party to beat” during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday.

 

He announced that the party would kick off its senatorial campaigns in Rivers South-East Senatorial District, starting with a rally in Bori, Khana’s administrative headquarters.

 

Wokekoro emphasized that the APP aims to change the “ugly narrative” of governance in the state, positioning the party as a fresh alternative to the PDP, which has long dominated Rivers politics.

 

With the local elections fast approaching, the defection of the governor’s loyalists to the APP has set the stage for a fiercely contested race that could reshape the state’s political future.