‘Fubara Deceived Us, Boasted Tinubu Would Force Wike To Support His Reelection’, Says Factional Rivers PDP Chair

A factional Caretaker Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Dr. Nname Ewor, has accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of deceiving party members and abandoning the PDP midway through the state’s prolonged political crisis.

Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Dr. Ewor alleged that Governor Fubara misled party members into believing he could wrest political control of the state from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, but instead defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2025.

“While this disagreement was on, a lot of us were deceived into believing so many things that were not true,” Ewor said. “In other words, the governor deceived us. Rather than give us the true picture of things, we were led with propaganda and lies, making us believe that the governor would wrestle political control from Wike.”

The PDP chieftain also accused the governor of boasting that President Bola Tinubu would compel both Wike and members of the State House of Assembly to support his administration and eventual reelection bid in 2027.

“Rather than follow the path of peace to ensure smooth running of government, the Governor has been boasting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not only force the State House of Assembly members to pass the budget, he will also force Wike to work for his reelection,” he stated.

Dr. Ewor demanded that the governor make public the full details of the peace agreement reportedly brokered by President Tinubu before the lifting of the State of Emergency in Rivers State earlier in 2025.

“The mandate he is holding was given to him by Rivers people, and all his actions and inactions affect those whose mandate he is holding,” he said. “It is incumbent on him at this material time to fully disclose to Rivers people all the agreements he entered into in a peace deal brokered by the President before the emergency rule was lifted.”

He recalled that the political crisis between the governor and the State House of Assembly escalated into the bombing of the Assembly complex, which eventually led to the President’s intervention and declaration of a State of Emergency in March 2025.

“During the period of the emergency rule, another round of peace pact was brokered by the President,” Ewor explained. “Unlike the previous one with an eight-point agenda, the current peace pact was not documented, and Rivers people were not in the know.”

Ewor also recounted events surrounding the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025, during which the Rivers State Executive Committee was dissolved.

He faulted Governor Fubara for allegedly directing delegates to attend the convention while failing to show up himself.

“To me, asking us to go to Ibadan when he knew he wouldn’t be attending the convention amounts to double standards, which is not an attribute of an honourable man,” he said. “Could it be that it was when he saw that PDP had become a no-go area that he quickly defected to APC? We need explanations.”

Following the Ibadan Convention, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) constituted a new Caretaker Committee for the state, with Ewor as chairman. The committee, he said, comprised of respected party figures, including Prince Uche Secondus, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, Abiye Sekibo, Celestine Omehia, Senator Lee Maeba, and others.

“The caretaker committee is subsisting, although the outcome of the Ibadan Convention is subject to litigation,” he noted.

Ewor further commented on Minister Nyesom Wike’s recent thank-you visit to the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, where Wike reportedly accused Governor Fubara of violating the terms of the presidential peace deal.

According to him, Wike alleged that Fubara had agreed to drop several aides and reinstate certain officials but failed to do so.

“The FCT Minister said that before the emergency rule in Rivers State was lifted, the governor agreed not to run for a second term, to reinstate Ohna Sergeant Awuse as Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, drop Tammy Danagogo as Secretary to the State Government, and Edison Ehie as Chief of Staff,” Ewor recounted. “That the governor has refused to keep all the terms of the agreement.”

Ewor insisted that the people of Rivers State deserved to know the full details of all agreements reached in the interest of transparency and accountability.

“These issues bother on our corporate interest, welfare, and peaceful governance of the State,” he said. “As a political party and citizens of Rivers State, we demand that the Governor fully disclose all the agreements reached before the President. This is the only way he can be accountable and responsible to the people of Rivers State.”

Finally, Ewor, who now aligned himself with the FCT Minister, expressed support for President Tinubu’s reelection bid in 2027, affirming that the PDP faction under his leadership would back the President’s continued leadership.