PDP on Fubara’s Defection: Nigeria Slipping Into Tinubu’s Authoritarian Rule

Rivers State – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised fresh alarm over what it describes as Nigeria’s accelerating drift toward authoritarian rule, linking Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a broader crisis of democratic decline.

Reacting to Fubara’s departure from the party — which he justified by claiming he did not receive protection from the PDP — the opposition dismissed his explanation as “pitiful,” asserting that the move reflects a larger pattern of political coercion facilitated by state power.

In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong, the PDP, led by Kabiru Turaki, said:

“The Governor willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination. Having done so voluntarily, he cannot turn around and accuse our party, or any other person or group, of abandoning or failing to protect him.”

The statement acknowledged that political threats may cause temporary trauma but reminded the governor of the support he received from the PDP, civil society organisations, and Nigerians during the crisis.

Highlighting the broader implications, the PDP warned that the situation in Rivers State illustrates the weakening of democratic safeguards under the ruling party:

“The Rivers situation is a testament to the dysfunctional nature of our democracy, where individuals are bigger and stronger than institutions and can use the apparatus of the Federal Government to suppress political opponents and bring them to their knees. Democracy is severely threatened by acts of this kind, and all well-meaning people should unite in condemning this progressive decline of democratic norms.”

The party cautioned that Nigeria is visibly inching toward authoritarian rule, emphasizing the need for citizens and the global community to resist moves that could constrict political space and create a de facto one-party state.

Governor Fubara formally announced his defection to the APC during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. The move represents a significant shift in Rivers State, historically a PDP stronghold, and is expected to influence party alignments and power dynamics ahead of future elections.

Earlier reports also noted that Fubara acknowledged receiving what he described as a “special favour” from President Bola Tinubu, allowing him to remain in office after a six-month emergency rule period.