Fubara officially registers as APC member

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has formally completed his registration as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a major political shift in the state’s landscape.

The governor’s registration was confirmed on Friday after he was captured placing his thumbprint in the APC membership register at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

The moment was documented in a photograph shared by Tony Okocha, media aide to the state APC chairman, which showed party officials supervising the process.

Governor Fubara’s move comes days after he publicly announced his decision to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under which he was elected, for the ruling APC.

He made the announcement on Tuesday, explaining that the decision was taken in the best interest of the people of Rivers State.

According to him, the defection was also a gesture of appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he credited for providing the political support that enabled him to remain in office amid the prolonged political crisis in the state.

Fubara has been locked in a fierce and prolonged power tussle with his predecessor and political godfather, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The crisis, which triggered resignations, impeachment threats, parallel assemblies and deep fractures within the state’s PDP structure, created uncertainty over the governor’s political future.

By joining the APC, Fubara has not only changed the power dynamics in Rivers State but may also alter the party’s internal calculus ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Political observers say his defection strengthens the APC’s foothold in Rivers—one of Nigeria’s most politically strategic and economically significant states.

The governor’s formal registration is expected to pave the way for a full-scale alignment of his political structure with the APC.

Party officials are also expected to commence grassroots mobilisation across the state to consolidate the governor’s entry and rally new members.

With Fubara’s defection now formalised, the political atmosphere in Rivers State is expected to witness fresh realignments as both loyalists and opponents recalibrate their positions ahead of the next election cycle.