Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has said defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was one of his easiest political decisions.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Fubara said he joined APC to show appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and contribute to developing Rivers State and Nigeria.
Fubara claimed he wasn’t truly a PDP member, saying 90% of his struggles were imposed by the party.
He described his PDP membership as being “at the balcony” during crises.
Fubara said this when he visited APC’s national headquarters to familiarise himself with the party’s leadership and operations.
Asked if it was very easy defecting to the APC, Governor Fubara said, “I think my transition was one of the easiest things I have done in my life. I call it easy because saying thank you is very simple. Showing appreciation and gratitude is easy.”
“My joining the All Progressives Congress is to say thank you to Mr President and to join hands with other progressives to develop my state and Nigeria at large. It wasn’t a difficult decision; it was easy. If you know my story, you should understand that,” he quipped.
While responding to whether he has regrets dumping the PDP, he said: “If I have to be honest, was I really a member of the PDP? I wasn’t. Whatever I suffered during the political crisis, 90 per cent of it was imposed on me by the party.
“I was in my former party, just there. During the crisis, you can’t associate me with any group. I was just, let me say, at the balcony—I wasn’t inside the house; I was not outside, at the balcony,” he joked.
Stating his mission to the party’s national headquarters, Governor Fubara said, “I can’t belong to a house without first coming into the house and understanding how it is arranged. I felt it would be proper for me to visit the national secretariat to familiarise myself with the members and the operations. This way, when I come here next time, it won’t feel as if I am a new person.”
“So, I am here to assure you that I have come in, and we will work together to ensure that this party becomes greater than it is. The greatness we all desire from this party is the success of Mr President. We cannot grow or expand if Mr President is not succeeding. I can assure you that we are already showing evidence of success in my state through what we are delivering and the number of people affirming their support,” he said.
Speaking further, he said, “Because you are standing with Mr President, we are now standing with Mr President. On behalf of the good people of Rivers State, my supportive members of the National Assembly, and members of the State Assembly who are with us, I can assure you that your new home is Rivers State,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking during the event, the party’s national chairman, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, expressed happiness over his decision to defect to the APC.
Represented by the national secretary, Ajibola Basiru, the party’s boss said, “I will say that, as a party, we are very happy that you have decided to join because, with your orientation, you are progressive and true, and, of course, you complete the circle for us in the South-South region.
“The geopolitical zone is the first that is completely APC. For people who are political watchers, if you have the South in any political party, I think the strength and the energy of that political party are more than half the power.
“So we are very confident that you are joining our party. The strength of our party, if it was at Power 15 before, it is now much better—it has become Power 100,” he said.