I Was Never a PDP Member — Fubara 

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has offered one of his most candid reflections yet on his political journey, declaring that he was never truly a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite having risen to prominence on the platform of the opposition party.

The governor made the revelation on Wednesday night during a maiden visit to the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, a visit that has since ignited intense political debate across Rivers State and beyond.

Speaking before party leaders and supporters, Fubara assessed his experience in the PDP with unusual frankness, describing a political home in which he felt isolated, unsupported, and largely abandoned during moments of internal crisis. His remarks appeared to signal a clear break from his former political associates and an attempt to redefine his political identity as he aligns himself with the ruling party at the federal level.

According to the governor, his decision to associate with the APC was neither sudden nor forced. Instead, he portrayed it as a natural progression rooted in personal conviction, gratitude, and a long-held belief in progressive governance. He insisted that, at heart, he had always been a progressive politician, even while operating under the banner of a party he now says never truly embraced him.

“If I have to be honest, was I really a member of the PDP? I wasn’t,” Fubara said pointedly. “Whatever I suffered during the political crisis, 90 per cent of it was imposed on me by the party.”

The governor’s comments were widely interpreted as a reference to the prolonged political turbulence that engulfed Rivers State following his emergence as governor, a period marked by bitter party infighting, legal battles, and competing power blocs within the PDP. While he did not name individuals, Fubara suggested that the party leadership failed to protect or stand by him when he faced internal opposition.

Expanding on his sense of alienation, the governor employed a vivid metaphor to describe his place within the PDP during those turbulent times.

“I was in my former party, just there. During the crisis, you can’t associate me with any group,” he said. “I was just, let me say, at the balcony—I wasn’t inside the house; I was outside, at the balcony.”

The imagery underscored his claim that, despite holding the party’s ticket and governing under its name, he was never fully integrated into its inner workings or decision-making structures. To Fubara, this sense of being on the margins made his eventual departure emotionally and politically uncomplicated.

Indeed, the governor described his defection to the APC as one of the easiest decisions of his political life, a statement that may surprise observers who view party switching as a risky and controversial move in Nigeria’s deeply polarized political landscape.

“I think my transition was one of the easiest things I have done in my life,” he said. “I call it easy because saying ‘thank you’ is very simple. Showing appreciation and gratitude is easy.”

Fubara explained that his decision was motivated not by pressure or political survival instincts, but by a desire to express gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to align himself with what he described as a shared vision for national and state development.

“My joining the Progressive Congress is to say thank you to Mr President and to join hands with other progressives to develop my state and Nigeria at large,” he said.

By framing his move as an act of appreciation and ideological alignment, rather than political desperation, the governor sought to counter criticisms that his defection was opportunistic. He maintained that anyone familiar with his political story would understand why the decision felt straightforward.

“It wasn’t a difficult decision; it was easy,” he added. “If you know my story, you should understand that.”

Fubara’s visit to the APC national secretariat is significant not only for its symbolism but also for its timing. As Nigeria’s political parties quietly begin positioning themselves ahead of future electoral contests, the defection of a sitting governor from the PDP to the APC carries substantial implications, particularly in a strategically important state like Rivers.

Rivers State has long been regarded as one of the PDP’s traditional strongholds, and any shift in its political alignment is bound to reverberate nationally. Analysts say Fubara’s move could alter the balance of power in the state, strengthen the APC’s foothold in the South-South region, and further deepen the crisis within the PDP.

Within political circles, reactions to the governor’s remarks have been mixed. Supporters argue that Fubara’s comments reflect the lived reality of many politicians who feel used and discarded by party structures once internal power struggles arise. Critics, however, accuse him of attempting to rewrite history and absolve himself of responsibility for the crises that rocked the party.

Still, Fubara appeared unbothered by potential backlash. His tone throughout the address was reflective rather than combative, suggesting a desire to close one chapter of his political life and begin another under a banner he believes better aligns with his principles.

By declaring that he was “never really a PDP member,” the governor has thrown down a gauntlet not just to his former party but to the broader culture of party politics in Nigeria, where loyalty is often questioned and ideological distinctions remain blurred.

Whether his explanation will resonate with the electorate in Rivers State remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Siminalayi Fubara has firmly staked his claim as a progressive politician and signaled his intention to chart a new political course—one he believes will better serve both his state and the nation.