PDP Condemns Gov Fubara’s Defection, Calls Move ‘Self-Inflicted Injury’

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted strongly to the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as “pitiful” and “self-inflicted.”

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party said Governor Fubara’s decision to leave the platform on which he was elected was entirely voluntary, invoking the legal maxim volenti non fit injuria—“to one who is willing, no harm can be done.”

According to the PDP, the series of events leading to Fubara’s defection showed that he “willingly travelled the path” that culminated in his exit and, as such, could not accuse the party or any other stakeholders of failing to protect him during the political crisis in Rivers State.

The statement further noted that while individuals facing what it described as “existential threats” may sometimes act under stress, the party maintained that civil society groups, Nigerians, and the PDP itself had stood firmly behind the governor throughout the dispute. It also expressed hope that Fubara would not fall into what it termed “Stockholm Syndrome.”

Beyond the governor’s defection, the PDP said the unfolding political situation in Rivers State reflected a deeper challenge within Nigeria’s democratic system — one in which individuals allegedly overshadow institutions and deploy federal power to “obfuscate political life” and weaken opponents. The party warned that such actions pose a grave threat to democratic norms.

The statement also accused the ruling party of attempting to gradually entrench a one-party state in Nigeria, arguing that the political space is becoming increasingly constricted. It called on Nigerians and the international community to resist what it described as a “trip toward electoral authoritarianism.”

The PDP expressed sympathy for Governor Fubara while wishing him well in his new political alignment.