Fubara denies defection rumours, insisting he remains in the APC amid controversy over Rivers Assembly screening appeals

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Wednesday dismissed widespread reports alleging that he had defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, insisting that he remains a loyal member of the ruling party.

Also read: Rivers Assembly Begins Screening Governor Fubara’s Commissioner Nominees

Fubara addressed the speculation during an inspection tour of the newly completed General Hospital and the remodelled Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Rumuigbo, Obiakpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The rumours emerged amid controversy surrounding the disqualification of some loyalists of the governor by the APC screening committee handling House of Assembly aspirants in the state.

Speaking during the inspection, Fubara said reports suggesting that he had abandoned the APC were false and misleading.

“I know that there has been a lot of drama in the media, one story or another,” the governor said.

“I am a member of the All Progressives Congress, and nothing has changed. People should stop using whatever situation they pick up from social media or their own interpretation of any situation to present me wrongly.”

Fubara denies defection claims as political tension continues to build within the Rivers APC ahead of the state assembly primaries.

The governor maintained that his commitment was to the broader interest of the party, regardless of internal disagreements.

“I’ve not gone anywhere; I’m still a member of the APC, and I remain a member. Whatever happens, what is important is supporting the overall interest of the party,” he added.

During the inspection, the governor expressed satisfaction over the completion of the two healthcare projects, describing them as strategic interventions designed to address urgent medical needs within surrounding communities.

Fubara explained that the projects were conceived after an earlier visit to the area revealed serious gaps in healthcare infrastructure, particularly in mental health services and access to general medical care.

According to him, residents previously depended largely on the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, which he described as too far for many communities within the axis.

“Today, to the glory of God, we can see that the project is already completed. It is not 95 per cent complete, it is a hundred per cent completion,” he said.

Meanwhile, tension continues within the Rivers APC as aspirants seeking tickets for the State House of Assembly await the outcome of appeals submitted after last weekend’s screening exercise.

The APC Assembly Screening Appeal Committee, headed by Dr Abdul Mahmud, concluded its two-day sitting on Wednesday evening after reviewing petitions from aggrieved aspirants.

Mahmud commended the aspirants for their peaceful conduct and assured them that the panel’s findings would be made public in due course.

As of Tuesday, the committee had received at least 19 petitions from aspirants challenging their screening outcomes.

One of the appellants, Gogo Isaiah, said he had appeared before the panel with all required documents and was awaiting the committee’s decision.

The appeal process has also been overshadowed by allegations involving one of the disqualified aspirants, Tonye Tom-George, who was accused by the screening committee of attempting to bribe panel members during the exercise.

Tom-George denied the allegation and demanded evidence to support the claim.

Mahmud later disclosed that he had received congratulatory messages from some aspirants, including Tom-George, warning that such actions could create the wrong impression on panel members.

“You know judges are sitting over matters, litigants will go behind the judges, seek their telephone number and begin to send text messages,” Mahmud said.

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“I think we should discourage ourselves from some of these things.”