The Peoples Democratic Party has reacted to Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s move to the All Progressives Congress, urging him not to “suffer from Stockholm Syndrome” as political developments in Rivers State deepen.
The statement was issued by the National Working Committee through its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong.
The party said the Governor’s exit did not come as a surprise, insisting he “willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination” and had no basis to accuse the PDP or any group of neglect.
It noted that civil society groups and many Nigerians had backed him throughout the crisis in the state, adding: “It is our prayer that the Governor should not suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, where a victim falls in love with his captor.”
The PDP described the political climate in Rivers as a clear reflection of a system where powerful individuals override democratic structures, warning that such conduct weakens the nation’s political space. It urged citizens to unite against any slide toward one-party dominance, saying democracy must be protected from acts that shrink participation.
The party said: “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has received the news of the formal defection of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, from our Party to the ruling party. This news, as pitiful as it is, is an exemplar of the old legal maxim Volenti non fit injuria, meaning “to one who is willing, no harm can be done”.
“Everyone who has followed the developments that culminated in this uneventful defection will recall that the Governor willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination. Having done so voluntarily, he cannot turn around and accuse our party, or any other person or group, of abandoning or not protecting him. Whilst a person who is at a crossroad of threats of existential proportion will most likely suffer from temporary amnesia caused by trauma, the Governor should have nothing less than praise for our party, civil society organisations, and all Nigerians who freely stood up in his defence since this crisis started until he capitulated. It is our prayer that the Governor should not suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, where a victim falls in love with his captor. In all, despite these, we pity the Governor and wish him well.
“Furthermore, the Rivers situation is a testament to the dysfunctional nature of our democracy, where individuals are bigger and stronger than institutions and can use the apparatus of the Federal Government to obfuscate political life out of their opponents and bring them to their knees. Democracy is terribly threatened by acts of this kind, and all well-meaning people should unify in condemning this progressive decline of democratic norms.
Finally, we reiterate to Nigerians and the global community that with the unrelenting disposition of the ruling party towards the attainment of a one-party state, and the constriction of the political space, democracy is under severe attack in Nigeria. Everyone must rise together to oppose this ignoble trip toward electoral authoritarianism.”
Earlier in the day, Governor Fubara had addressed supporters, declaring that his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu informed his decision to join the APC.
“The reason why we are still standing is because of that place, and the truth is, without Mr President, there wouldn’t be any His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara; it would have been the former governor,” he said.
He stressed that his camp could not pledge allegiance to the President while remaining outside his party.
“Our only thank-you to Mr President is to support him, and we cannot support the President in isolation; we cannot support the President if we don’t fully identify with him, not backyard support,” he said.
Fubara announced that he and his supporters were crossing over to the APC, stating, “Everyone here who had followed me, who had suffered with me, our decision today, this evening, we are moving to the APC.”
