The Lagos chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has downplayed the departure of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, insisting the party will feel no loss after his defection to the All Progressives Congress.
Mr Hakeem Olalemi, the PDP Vice Chairman (Central), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Fubara’s move was less a reflection of PDP troubles and more a personal attempt to secure political protection.
“People join political parties for their own reasons,” he said. “In this case, the governor clearly believes President Bola Tinubu is the only person who can shield him.”
Olalemi rejected claims that the move stemmed from infighting within the PDP, arguing that the situation in Rivers State had been simmering long before any national issues emerged within the party.
“Fubara’s crisis stands alone,” he noted. “He had been locked in political battles long before the PDP began facing its own internal challenges.”
He criticised those within the party who, he said, refuse to follow established procedures, thereby worsening the PDP’s internal problems.
“If everyone followed the party’s constitution and the nation’s constitution, these issues would not exist,” he said. “It is those chasing shortcuts who keep dragging the PDP backwards.”
Despite the turmoil, Olalemi maintained confidence that the party would regain stability.
Asked whether the party would feel Fubara’s absence, he responded that the governor had been largely detached from PDP activities.
“He hasn’t attended our events for two years,” he said. “So what exactly are we meant to miss? His contribution to the growth of the party since taking office has been minimal.”
Nevertheless, he added that the PDP wishes Fubara well as he embarks on his new political path.
Fubara formally announced his defection during a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, explaining that he left the PDP to support President Tinubu. He remarked that, without Tinubu’s intervention, he might already have lost his position as governor.
