The Peoples Democratic Party has described Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s defection to the All Progressives Congress as a “self-inflicted political injury”, warning that the development deepens concerns about Nigeria’s slide toward a one-party system.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the party said the governor’s exit was the direct outcome of choices he willingly made, insisting that neither the PDP nor any stakeholder should be blamed for the consequences.
The opposition party argued that the political turbulence in Rivers State reflects a wider decay in democratic norms, where individual powinstitutionser blocs dominate state and use federal influence to subdue opponents. It maintained that the governor ignored the strong support he had received from the PDP, civil society groups and Nigerians who stood by him throughout the crisis.
According to the statement, Governor Fubara’s defection should not erase the backing he enjoyed when pressure around the Rivers political crisis reached its peak. The party added that his decision aligns with a pattern it says undermines political pluralism and strengthens the ruling party’s push toward electoral dominance.
While expressing concern that the governor might succumb to “Stockholm Syndrome” by aligning with those who allegedly coerced him, the PDP said the situation in Rivers State highlights institutional weaknesses that threaten multiparty democracy in Nigeria.
It urged citizens, democratic institutions and the international community to remain vigilant, warning that the political space is shrinking under what it described as attempts to entrench a one-party system.
