Author: John Martins

Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s recent defection to the All Progressives Congress has triggered a predictable political backlash from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the very platform Rivers people loyally defended for more than two decades.

In a long release, the PDP described the governor’s decision as “a self-inflicted injury.” But for many Rivers people, this response appears less like truth and more like denial.

For 26 years, from August 1998 till date, Rivers State stood firmly behind the PDP even when it wasn’t convenient. Yet, when the state needed support the most, the party hesitated. In moments when Rivers people faced political pressure and an attempt to weaken the mandate they freely gave, the PDP did not rise to their defence.

Even Governor Fubara, once a deputy chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, found himself undermined by those who should have had his back. Instead of protecting the office of the sitting governor and the electorate who installed him, key figures within the party made decisions that jeopardised stability in the state.

One clear example remains fresh; the August 2024 episode, when the PDP leadership at the national level disowned its own National Legal Adviser over an appeal concerning the 27 lawmakers. That move paved the way for those who abandoned the party to enjoy soft landing, all at the expense of Rivers people.

How does a party fight harder for those who deserted it, than for a sitting governor who stayed loyal?

The PDP now laments “threats to democracy,” but democracy weakens the most when political institutions fail to defend the people who stand with them.

Governor Fubara’s switch to the APC is more than a political move, it is a clear statement that loyalty must be mutual. When trust is broken, those neglected will seek protection where it exists.

Rather than pointing fingers, the PDP should show courage:

Admit that it failed Rivers people when support mattered most.

Admit that the party abandoned a governor who never abandoned them.

There may be time for the PDP to reflect, but the moment to repair its relationship with Rivers State has long passed. The governor has moved forward with the people behind him, and no press statement can rewrite that reality. What Rivers people already know is simple: when they needed protection, the PDP looked away and that chapter is now closed.

~ Johnmartins writes from the #gardencity of #PortHarcourt