![Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, CEO of Gavi Alliance. [PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter handle of Atiku Abubakar]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2023/02/Dr-Muhammad-Ali-Pate.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has openly called on Rivers State residents to deliver overwhelming votes for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in a move that underscores the party’s consolidation of power in the oil-rich South-south region following Mr Fubara’s recent defection.
The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, made the call while addressing party supporters in Rivers, describing Mr Fubara’s alignment with the ruling party as a boost to both the governor and the APC.
|
|
Mr Bashiru stated this in a video posted on Facebook by Rivers State Television.
The State TV did not specify when and where Mr Bashiru made the statement.
|
|
|
|---|
However, an email sent to this newspaper from Rivers State Government House stated that Mr Basiru, who led members of the National Working Committee of the party to the state, remarked while delivering his goodwill message during the commissioning of Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters in Elimgbu, on Monday.
“I congratulate our governor, I congratulate our party because when the governor is doing well, it simply means that our party is doing well,” Mr Basiru said.
“But the only way you can compensate the governor, compensate our party people of Rivers State, is to continue to vote for our party, the APC, in all elections.”
He expressed confidence that Rivers would deliver large votes for the party in future elections, including the presidency.
“And I know that in the fullness of time, in the general election coming, the votes for our party, the vote for our governor, the vote for our president, will be very massive in Rivers State,” he said.
Fubara’s defection reshapes South-south politics
Mr Fubara’s move to the APC has effectively placed all South-south states under the control of the ruling party, marking a significant political shift in a region long dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party.
The governor defected to the APC days after visiting President Tinubu, following months of political crisis in Rivers that had pitted him against his predecessor and the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The crisis led to a split legislature, impeachment threats, and a six-month state of emergency declared by the president.
Since Mr Fubara’s defection, the APC leaders have intensified efforts to project the governor as the party’s political leader in Rivers and a key electoral asset ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Second-term backing and automatic tickets
The call for “massive votes” comes amid growing indications that the APC leadership is positioning Mr Fubara for a second term.
READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: Will peace return to Rivers’ politics now that Fubara is in Tinubu’s party?
A former presidential aide and current ambassadorial nominee, Ita Enang, had earlier told PREMIUM TIMES that there was a consensus within the APC national leadership to grant automatic return tickets to defecting governors.
That position appears to be reinforced by Mr Basiru’s comments, which directly linked electoral support for the APC to continued backing for Mr Fubara’s administration.
Mr Bashiru’s comments suggest that Mr Fubara is being embraced not just as a new entrant but as a central figure in the APC’s plans in Rivers.
Wike’s influence questioned
The APC’s open endorsement of Mr Fubara for future elections may also alter the balance of power in Rivers, where Mr Wike has remained a dominant political force.
The APC leadership, now rallying support for Mr Fubara, is widely seen as a potential relegation of Mr Wike’s influence in Rivers politics.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
