Ahead of his return to Government House Port Harcourt, there are moves by the Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to woo the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara into its fold.
Fubara was suspended at the height of the political crisis in the state, following which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on the 18th of March 2025.
The declaration was to last six months that is to lapse September 18, 2025.
This is, however, subject to the president’s decision.
Hinting on the move to woo Fubara, the Rivers state spokesman of APC, Darlington Nwauju, gave reasons the governor should join the APC.
He spoke Tuesday while featuring on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, monitored by Blueprint in Abuja.
“If I were the governor of Rivers State, on my return on Thursday, I would announce my defection to the All Progressives Congress.
“I think the governor should join the APC, and we would gladly receive the governor into our party,” he said.
On who leads the party if he joins, the party spokesman said: “By the convention of our party, if he joins the All Progressives Congress, he becomes the leader of the party.”
On his assessment of the Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas-led administration, Nwuju said: “APC has not officially demanded that Ibas give an account of his stewardship for the past six months.
“The budget approval he got was from the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There is a committee from the House of Representatives overseeing the period of emergency.
“I do expect that the committee should be able to do due diligence, come up with that report, and tell Nigerians what they found out. It is one of their core mandates in the business of legislations and law making.”
…Ibas scores self high
In a related development, Rivers state Administrator Ibas praised his six-month administration as restoring stability in the state during its difficult moments.
Ibas spoke Tuesday at a Public Lecture titled ‘Good Governance and Democratic Dividends’ delivered by Prof. Abiodun Amuda-Kanmike, SAN.
The guest lecturer said as the Ibas-led administration transits, this should serve as a period of sober reflection, noting: “The case of Rivers should be an example for other states in the country.”
The event, which was part of the transition activities, held in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The ex-naval chief, who said he had achieved his presidential mandate of restoring peace and security in Rivers, expressed his gratitude to the people of the state for the support while his administration lasted.
On Sunday’s Thanksgiving, he said: “It reminded us that without God and the resilience of our people, this journey of my administration would have been impossible.”
While describing the public lecture as more than a mere intellectual exercise, he said: “As a nation, our democracy must deliver, and that governance must always be rooted in service.
“Standing before you, we feel with gratitude and humility; gratitude for the support you gave me as your administrator and humility that I was called to serve in such a defining moment in the history of this great state.
“When we began this assignment on March 18, 2025, our core mandate was to restore peace and stability. By the grace of God and with the cooperation of all stakeholders, we have come this far.”
“Most significantly was the peacefully conducted local government council elections restored democratic governance to the grassroots, the level of government closest to the people. Emergency rule was never a choice; it was a necessity brought upon us by insecurity, political impasse, and breakdown of trust.
“Yet in hindsight, it offered us enduring lessons that peace is priceless, without security, no other aspiration is possible; that when governance is weakened, opportunism fills the vacuum, endangering lives and livelihoods, and that the indomitable spirit of Rivers people cannot be broken.
“They endured. They persevered and have remained steadfast. The stability we have restored is the foundation upon which democracy is now rebuilt,” even as he lauds the guest speaker has doing Justice to the topic,” Ibas added.
For him, “Rivers State has been stabilised under extraordinary circumstances; much remains to be done. The foundations have been laid.
“Let’s build on it. Let us prove to the world that Rivers, the Treasure Base of the Nation, can also be the model of good governance in Nigeria.
“My role here is to offer my sincere gratitude to my dear people of Rivers for all that we have worked hard together to achieve in the last six months.
“The support has been most humbling, and I will remain eternally grateful to you all. I plead with you to re-dedicate yourselves to our collective destiny, one ordained by God.
“I charge all of us to place Rivers above personal ambition to commit to tolerance, forgiveness, and reconciliation to consciously work at building trust among each other and to ensure that the dividends of democracy reach households.”