Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, expressed frustration over the absence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming local government elections, scheduled for October 5, calling himself “the biggest loser” due to his party’s non-participation.
His remarks came as political tensions escalated following defections and protests across the state.
On September 24, several caretaker committee chairmen, formerly aligned with Fubara, defected to the Action Peoples Party (APP), signaling a significant shift ahead of the elections. These defections raised concerns about the PDP’s diminishing influence in the state, especially under the leadership of Fubara, a PDP member.
Further complicating the political landscape, a crowd of protesters, reportedly loyal to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Fubara’s predecessor, besieged the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt, the state capital, earlier today.
The protest was staged to oppose the conduct of the elections, with the demonstrators voicing discontent over the state’s political process. Wike’s camp, which remains influential in Rivers politics, has been critical of Fubara’s handling of recent developments.
Despite the mounting political turmoil, Fubara emphasized the necessity of holding the local elections.
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He pointed to a Supreme Court ruling that mandates elected officials to manage local government affairs, insisting that as governor, he has no choice but to proceed with the elections, even if his party is not represented.
“In this election, I am the biggest loser; my party is not participating. But because of the Supreme Court ruling that there must be elected officials to manage the affairs of local government, as the governor, I have to obey that,” Fubara said during a Thursday meeting.
Fubara also addressed the loyalty of PDP members who continue to support the electoral process despite the party’s absence, questioning, “A good number of people here are my party members, and you are not even benefiting from it. So what is the problem?”
The PDP’s non-participation and the defections to APP reflect deeper divisions within the Rivers political landscape, particularly the rift between Fubara and Wike, which has been a point of contention since the latter took up his federal appointment.
The upcoming elections are expected to be a critical test of Fubara’s leadership and the realignment of political forces in Rivers State.