“Atimes, I Had Had Doubts Over It, But I Am Still A Member Of The PDP, I Go Nowhere” – Gov Fubara

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Governor Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday August 20, 2024, stoutly rejected speculations linking him with  plans to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

However, he added that as a human he had sometimes entertained fears about his continued association with the party on which platform he rode to the Rivers State seat of power.

In recent times ,insinuations have been rife that he is mostly likely to pitch tent with the All peoples Party, APP, or Labour Party, LP.

Such speculations were accentuated by his alleged dissatisfaction, with the way the PDP top hierarchy at the National level handled his feud with his estranged godfather, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike at the brewing stages.

Talks were rife that the Governor felt betrayed and abandoned by the PDP at a time he needed their moral and political support.

Governor Fubara and his erstwhile mentor, Wike, had, late last year, found themselves on a parallel path, barely six months after the latter facilitated the emergence of the  former as the State Governor .

The feud climaxed in December 2023, with 27 Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly   considered to be loyal to Wike defecting from the PDP to the All Progressive Congress APC .

Since then, the two hitherto political allies have continued to dig deeper into the trenches, with no signs of striking a truce in the horizon.

At an interactive session with members of the PDP  Board of Trustees led by its Chairman, Dr. Adolphus Wabara  in Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara maintained that Rivers State has been a PDP stronghold and will remain so under his watch.

He expressed happiness with the decision of the BOT members to visit the State to interact with him and other stakeholders of the Party.

He noted that the visit has reassured and  strengthened  his belief that he is still an integral part of the party.

“I want to thank the Chairman and members of the Board of Trustees. Honestly speaking, if I was having any doubt  about my membership of this great party, I think today, I have gotten a reconfirmation that I am still needed, not minding the drama around a member of this party.

“And I want to thank you for taking all the troubles to come to Rivers State to see the Governor, and the supporters of the party, genuinely.

“I need to use that word genuinely, because we that are here, are members of the Peoples Democratic Party undiluted.

“For once, I am happy to see the leaders among whom are some founding fathers of the PDP like Chief Bode George , Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, joining the delegation here to talk about the unity of the party

“I want to assure members of our party, genuine members of PDP that are here with us, that this is another hope to show that our decision to stand by the party, and still standing by the party is not a wrong decision” he stated.

The Governor further said the primary purpose for the BOT visit is to have a first hand  information about the cause(s) of the problems in the State Chapter of the Party .

“What I have said in Abuja is the same thing I say in Port Harcourt .If I have had any encounter with anybody in Lagos, I don’t think my story has changed.

“So, I strongly believe that when we go into the executive session,  I will let the Board members who have visited us to know, or to hear my side of the story.” Gov Fubara stated .

The Source reports that the BOT members are in the state to acquaint themselves with the real situation in the ongoing feud between the Governor and his immediate predecessor, Wike,preparatory to the up coming National Convention of the party.

Owing to the disagreement, the scheduled Ward and State congresses of the party in the State, has been put on hold by a Court injunction secured by some actors believed to be loyal to the FCT Minister.