BREAKING NEWS: Gov Fubara, Three PDP Governors Set to Defect to APC, Back Tinubu’s Re-election Bid

Politics: Fubara, Three PDP Governors Set to Defect to APC, Back Tinubu’s Re-election Bid

According to ThisDay, four governors from the PDP are considering to defect to the APC to back President Bola Tinubu's bid for a second term, they are:

1. Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State.

2. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State.

3. Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.

4. Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara.

In a major realignment of political forces ahead of the 2027 general election, at least three to four governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and support the second term push of President Bola Tinubu.

This is in response to political rumblings in many northern states, which are threatening withdrawal of support for the incumbent President’s re-elections. Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State last Friday, at a public event, confirmed support for President Tinubu saying in his state, there’s no more party politics as they are all in a “unity party” of PDP and APC.

Suspended governor Fubara is also weighing the options on whether to back Tinubu whilst retaining his membership of the PDP or defect to the APC.

THISDAY also gathered that Fubara’s initial plan to defect to the APC was frustrated by the political crisis that engulfed his state.

His plans to join the APC were believed to have been stalled largely due to President Tinubu’s displeasure with his handling of the political crisis in his state and partly by his estranged benefactor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike’s effective grip on the APC structure in the state.

For the embattled governor, the decision to join the ruling APC was to secure his mandate against the subterranean moves by his political opponents to remove him from office or deny him a second term ticket.

He was said to have rejected the PDP governors’ resolution to challenge the state of emergency declared in his state in court due to his plan to reconcile with his political enemies and possibly defect to the APC.

Though the PDP governors moved ahead with the court action, he was said to have told his colleagues pointblank that he would not be a party to any move that could jeopardise his four years mandate.

THISDAY gathered that it was not a mere coincidence that the three governors were absent at the recent meeting of the PDP governors held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Delta and Akwa Ibom states’ governors sent their deputies to the meeting since they had begun a gradual withdrawal from the PDP, while Fubara did not send any representative.