The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara did not require his permission to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as "natural" amid ongoing political realignments in the state.
Speaking during his monthly live media chat at his country home in Rumueprikom, Port Harcourt, on Monday, Wike addressed questions about Fubara's recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC earlier in December.
The governor's switch followed a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu and came after several pro-Wike lawmakers and local government chairmen had already moved to the APC.
"He (Fubara) doesn’t need my clearance. It’s natural," Wike stated, noting that those who previously accused him of secretly working for the APC and President Tinubu have now joined the party themselves.
"But those same people have also left PDP to go to APC, though it doesn’t surprise me."
However, Wike cautioned that Fubara's defection and public declarations of support for President Tinubu do not automatically secure the APC governorship ticket for a second term in 2027.
He emphasized that party leadership and nominations follow established structures, dismissing claims that the governor is now the undisputed leader of the APC in Rivers State.
Wike's comments come amid lingering tensions despite earlier reconciliation efforts brokered by the presidency.
Political observers note that Fubara's move has consolidated APC control in the South-South region, positioning him as a key ally for Tinubu's re-election bid, while potentially diminishing Wike's influence within the state's party machinery.
The former governor, who remains a PDP member but wields significant national influence in the APC-led federal government, also downplayed suggestions that the defection alters existing political agreements in Rivers.
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