ABUJA, Nigeria — The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has warned that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s political future remains uncertain, asserting that a defection to the ruling party would not shield the suspended governor from impeachment proceedings.
Speaking at a press conference held at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Okocha dismissed ongoing speculations that Fubara’s reported lobbying efforts and possible defection could influence the party’s stance.
“Fubara’s suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State had no business whatsoever with politics. It was about his misdemeanour,” Okocha said.
“His sins cannot be forgiven because he came to our party. It is not true. He has not spoken to me.”
The Rivers APC chairman further clarified that defection into the party follows established procedures, stressing that no such process had begun at the ward level for Fubara.
“You cannot jump into APC today and your sins are forgiven; that can’t be true. It won’t work that way, otherwise it would have made APC a dumping ground for people who commit misdemeanours,” he stated.
Okocha also referenced a Supreme Court ruling, claiming it had described the Rivers State government as non-existent, which he argued justified the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
The governor was suspended from office last month in connection with a series of political and constitutional crises in the state.
“If there was no government in the State, something must be done, and that which happened was the declaration of the state of emergency,” Okocha noted.
On the governor’s recent engagements with President Bola Tinubu, Okocha downplayed the significance of the meetings, describing them as routine and potentially related to the recent Sallah festivities.
“How can I be worried that somebody visited my President? Don’t forget it was also the season for Sallah,” he said.
“We can’t gag the President to say he should not see Mr A or see Mr B.”
He added that to his knowledge, there had been no genuine efforts by Fubara to reconcile with political stakeholders or to comply with the president’s reported advice to “go and make peace.”
“No reconciliation is going on. I am not aware of any reconciliatory moves by Fubara and his team,” Okocha said.
The APC official also criticised former governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, calling him a “partyless politician” and distancing him from the current affairs of the APC in Rivers State.
