Group urges Fubara to join APC to resolve party’s crisis in Rivers – ASAF tells Fubara

By Jude Opara, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) States Assembly Forum (ASAF) has called on the suspended governor of Rivers state, Siminalayi Fubara to seize the opportunity presented by the recent political realignment in Delta state and defect to the ruling APC and join in the project of reselecting President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

It could be recalled that Fubara, who was democratically elected as the governor of Rivers state in 2023, was suspended by President Tinubu in March following a political faceoff between him and the members of the State Assembly which led to the instability in the state.

The governor has long been entangled in a protracted political feud with his predecessor and political godfather, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

However, following the recent defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state, his predecessor and former vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa; and the entire PDP structure in the state to the APC, the ASAF believes that the defection of Governor Fubara and his influential Simplified Movement in Rivers state will not only return the suspended governor to political relevance but also secure a convincing victory for President Tinubu in Rivers state in 2027.

The ASAF in a statement issued over the weekend by its Director-General, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, in Katsina during the President’s working visit to the state, recalled the strength and overwhelming support the suspended governor still enjoys in Rivers state, emphasizing that a swift embrace of the ruling APC and President Tinubu’s re-election bid would bolster support and expedite Fubara’s reinstatement.

According to the ASAF, Governor Fubara’s anticipated defection, coupled with the recent political gains in Delta state, would contribute significantly to delivering a resounding victory for President Bola Tinubu across the entire South-South geopolitical zone. This, it said, would complement the efforts of all stakeholders driving the Renewed Hope agenda in the region.