Politics

APC and opposition clash over FG’s revenue growth claim

Published

3 months ago

September 4, 2025

The All Progressives Congress and opposition parties on Wednesday clashed over President Bola Tinubu’s claim that Nigeria has already achieved its 2025 revenue target.

While the APC insisted that the President has placed Nigeria on the path of economic recovery, the African Democratic Congress, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and the Coalition of United Political Parties accused Tinubu of celebrating statistics while citizens struggle under severe economic hardship.

Also, economists expressed scepticism about the President’s assertion that the Federal Government had stopped borrowing locally, as they called for clarification from the managers of the economy.

The experts pointed to the continuous debt market operations by the Debt Management Office and the Central Bank of Nigeria, questioning the president’s assertion and its alignment with the current economic realities.

For years, Nigeria has depended heavily on crude oil, which accounts for about 70 per cent of government revenue and over 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings.

Successive administrations have repeatedly promised to diversify the economy, yet oil has remained the main source of revenue.

In 2023, upon assuming office, President Tinubu launched a series of reforms aimed at repositioning the economy.

One of his most significant steps was the removal of fuel subsidy, a policy that has since triggered severe economic hardship. The removal pushed up transport costs, worsened food inflation, fuelled a foreign exchange crisis, and deepened the overall cost-of-living burden for millions of Nigerians, while freeing more revenues for the government.

Although federal allocations to states have increased under Tinubu’s administration, the impact has not been felt at the grassroots level.

Poverty, insecurity, and other social vices have continued to escalate, forcing many Nigerians to seek greener pastures abroad.

While the reforms have delivered some marginal gains, the weight of hardship on ordinary citizens remains overwhelming.

However, on Tuesday, Tinubu announced at the Presidential Villa that the country had hit its 2025 revenue projection in August, attributing the feat to gains from the non-oil sector.

According to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President disclosed this while receiving the founding members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change and The Buhari Organisation, led by former Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

“The economy is now stabilised. Nobody is trading pieces of paper for foreign exchange anymore. The economy is now predictable. You do not need to know the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, to obtain foreign exchange or import goods,” Tinubu said.

“The President highlighted the significant growth in non-oil revenues accruing to the Federation, federal, state, and local governments. From January to August 2025, total collections reached N20.59 trillion, a 40.5 per cent increase from N14.6 trillion recorded in 2024. This strong performance aligns with projections, placing the government firmly on course to achieve its annual non-oil revenue target,’’ the statement added.

According to the statement, the President also said that the Federal Government is no longer borrowing from local banks to buttress the strong fiscal performance since the start of the year.

TInubu, who linked the development to his economic reforms, promised that his Renewed Hope Agenda would continue to prioritise infrastructure renewal, healthcare, food sovereignty, and security.

The ruling APC backed Tinubu’s declaration that Nigeria had hit its planned revenue target in August.

The Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH.

He said, “We support the President because if the target revenue for the year has been met in August, it then shows that the budget is capable of implementation. It means that what is set in the agenda of the budget will be implemented and that the government would not, as had been the case before, borrow money to be able to fulfil the budget of 2025.

“And then that eases pressure on the part of the government to now begin to have money to deliver the infrastructural development that it had targeted in the course of the year.”

Duru insisted the government’s achievement would have a spiralling effect on the economy.

“It will have a trickle-down effect on all borrowings. So the government would not be under any pressure. It also shows that the government can fund and finance the relevant projects that it needs to address the infrastructure deficit in the country, including overhead costs, which has been the major issue in the country,” he stated.

On the perception that the current administration may still have its eyes set on bonds and other loans from the IMF, the APC chieftain argued that it was a figment of the imagination of critics.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, challenged critics of the President’s assertion on meeting the government’s revenue target and not borrowing locally to provide contrary facts.

Bwala, who spoke on Wednesday evening, accused the opposition of being blind and purposeless in their criticism of the President’s statement.

He said, “The problem the opposition has is comprehension. They have sight but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear.

“If you hear what Mr President said yesterday, it is quite clear, concise and self-explanatory.

“I challenge the opposition to come with facts and numbers to counter that; and I will kindly urge the press to ask them for specifics; otherwise, they are just attacking without purpose.”

But the opposition parties faulted the celebration of revenue figures in the face of biting inflation, high food prices, and currency depreciation.

Speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed the President’s declaration as absurd.

He described the APC-led Federal Government’s economic policy as strange, stressing that the revenue target has no meaningful impact on the lives of the citizens.

The ADC Publicity Secretary stated, “What is the essence of the revenue target if it has no direct impact on the lives of the people? What is the purpose of this revenue target if it does not have a direct impact on improving the lives of the people?

“Their economic policy is weird because any economy that does not put the people first cannot really claim to be doing anything. People don’t feel it. The reality that they are proclaiming is different from the reality of the life of the ordinary Nigerian. Nigerians want to see impact. They want to see improvement in their lives.”

He expressed concern that most Nigerians remain trapped below the poverty line.

Abdullahi continued, “I will give you one quick example. You know, the minimum wage, the APC-led government set it at N70,000. Even if it is fixed, it puts the majority of Nigerians below the poverty level.

“The majority of Nigerians will still live below the poverty level. So, that’s what we don’t understand about this claim about generating revenue targets when it does not have any impact.

“When the people cannot see it, they cannot see it. What is the purpose of revenue? They have borrowed so much money, leaving the country with so much debt. And we cannot see what they used the money for.

“And it’s on that basis that the President is claiming that they have met the revenue target. So, it’s absurd. You know? It’s absurd.”

The New Nigeria People’s Party also dismissed the President’s claim, arguing that governance is not just about increasing revenue.

The NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said, “My question is, if Tinubu meets his revenue targets, has he met the target set out to ensure he looks after the welfare of the people of this country? His government is a tax-and-spend government.

“He believes that when revenue is coming in, that means it is working. Meanwhile, you are turning the screw on the people of the country who are already suffering. Everything shouldn’t just be restricted to revenue.”

The NNPP stated that while the President may have achieved his personal target, he has yet to meet the expectations of the citizens.

“Yes, it is good that the government makes money. But has the same government cut down its costs? Are the revenues meant to buy SUVs, regulate the Presidential Villa and augment the presidential fleet? These are the questions.

“So, no matter how low or high the bar is, the President set the target himself and has marked his own exam. But what about the target we set for him as a people? He hasn’t met our own target. Inflation is still high, and the naira has lost value. It’s presently at N1,600. So, let him talk about the targets we have set him for as a people.”

Also reacting, the CUPP National Secretary, Peter Ameh, in an interview with The PUNCH, said President Tinubu is disconnected from the realities facing Nigerians.

“I think the president is misunderstanding the yearning and the problems of Nigerians. He’s misunderstanding it in a great deal because he himself, as a president, is disconnected from reality. He has created an alternate universe for himself where he thinks that he’s living in the presidential field and doesn’t know what Nigerians are going through.

“He doesn’t know what Nigerians are going through. So, he thinks that taxing Nigeria and collecting revenue that does not have a direct reflection on the lives of the people is an achievement.

“One of the things he has done is that when he collects his revenue, what are the priorities of investments where he puts this money? Which area is he putting the money into that reflects on the lives of the people? It’s not about meeting the revenue target; Is the life of Nigerians better? Is he investing in healthcare? Is he investing in agriculture? Is he investing in our SMEs that will generate more revenue?

“What he’s doing, the president has decided to tax us, generate enough revenue, yet he’s making so much, he’s still borrowing so much money. If we are meeting this revenue target, then our level of borrowing should have reduced,” he submitted.

The CUPP scribe alleged that both the revenue and borrowed funds are being diverted to finance the private lifestyles of those in power.

“What he’s doing with the money is like, he’s spending more on transportation costs, on overseas travel, he’s spending a lot of money, and he’s spending more on luxury; luxurious lifestyles of those in government.

A factional spokesman for the Labour Party, Tony Akeni, berated the President and his party for what he described as a habitual resort to falsehood.

“I am happy Nigerians now know that the middle name of the APC is lies. This is because you cannot say you have walked away from taking loans and then try to hide in-between local and international ones. Yet, you were making this declaration on the international stage.

“Are you aware that Chatham House, London, has taken him up on this falsehood? They have countered him. And you will see that the contradiction is traditional with President Tinubu and his political party.

“It is all to pump false confidence in the country and give weapons of arrogance for the followers of the APC and their zealots to keep pushing the wrong narrative to deceive Nigerians.”

He wondered why the government was taking loans if it had met its revenue target.

“But there is nothing like that because if they have reached their thresholds or their targets of local revenue generation, why would they add to the burden of Nigeria by borrowing extensively from the foreign arena, where the interests are higher, conditions more stringent and where the fallouts result in more pains and sufferings both in the immediate period and the time to come.

“So the position of the Labour Party is that it is all lies and Nigerians should be doubly vigilant because any time a lie is told, it means there is a tough conspiracy behind the curtain.’’

In a related development, economists have expressed scepticism about the President’s statement on not taking local loans anymore.

A renowned economist, Professor Akpan Ekpo, expressed surprise at the claim, stating, “Maybe he has information we don’t have. But they are still borrowing externally. DMO is still issuing financial papers, and then the Central Bank is still involved in the debt market, and the Central Bank is part of the government. They are involved in Open Market Operations and all those things. So, I don’t know what he means by not borrowing.”

He further noted that meeting revenue targets would be positive, with funds ideally directed towards crucial sectors like health, education, and infrastructure.

“If they have met the revenue target, that’s fine. I would hope that the remaining will be used to address issues in the economy of Nigeria. We should put the money into health, education and infrastructure. When I heard the President say that, I was surprised. I don’t know what he means,” he said.

Prof Ekpo also emphasised that borrowing can be beneficial for financing infrastructure, provided transparency is maintained. “If the country is not borrowing, it’s not something to be proud of, because sometimes it’s good to borrow to finance infrastructure, once they are transparent.”

Also, Prof Segun Ajibola of Babcock University highlighted that the half-year figures released by relevant authorities up to the end of June showed Nigeria had barely crossed half of its 2025 revenue target.

He stressed the need for further clarification from the Minister of Finance and the Debt Management Office regarding the President’s statement.

“Looking at the figures released as of the end of June, the half-year figures by respective authorities, the fiscal authority, the monetary authority, and even the debt management office. At that point, it showed that Nigeria barely crossed half the target for 2025.

“So, I wouldn’t know what might have transpired in July and August. I am not in possession of more accurate data than government functionaries. Maybe, we need to hold our breath and wait for further clarification, especially from the Minister of Finance and also from the Debt Management Office,” Ajibola said.

If indeed the annual revenue targets had been met in August, as stated by the President, Ajibola called for ideas on how to better utilise any potential surplus revenue from September to December, saying, “If indeed we have been able to meet the annual revenue target in August, then it is wonderful. What then happens to the revenue flow from September to December? We can start brainstorming on what to do with that surplus.”

The Chief Executive Officer of Arthur Stevens Asset Management, Tunde Amolegbe, offered an alternative interpretation, suggesting that the President’s statement might refer to not exceeding the projected N13 trillion fiscal deficit.

“The truth of the matter is that you know, some of these statements one needs to put in perspective. It’s very possible that what he meant was that we are not going to borrow beyond the N13tn gap, which was estimated in the project in the first place.

‘’You remember that at the beginning of the year, because of the difference in the projected oil price that was used in the budget, compared to what the market price was, it was projected that the N13tn deficit might grow beyond that.

“However, now that it appears that the country has been able to increase production of crude, and also oil prices seem to have reached a level that is close to our price estimate used for the budget, it is very possible that what the president meant was that we are not going to go beyond the N13tn (fiscal) deficit that has been projected in the budget. Not that there won’t be any need to borrow,” he pointed out.

Amolegbe projected that continued borrowing will be necessary until the year-end, noting the recent DMO treasury auctions. “I suspect that we will probably still need to borrow between now and the end of the year. I mean, the DMO conducted a treasure auction yesterday (Tuesday). They conducted an auction a few weeks ago. I suspect there are other auctions still coming up.’’

A former Chief Economist at Zenith Bank, Marcel Okeke, was more direct in his assessment, calling the claim “laughable” and “unrealistic”. He questioned the historical precedent of the government exceeding revenue projections by August in any fiscal year.

“Has it ever happened in this economy? By August, in any fiscal year, has the government made and exceeded its revenue projections? In order not to insult the president, I would say that the claim he made is laughable. But the claim doesn’t look realistic. It doesn’t seem as if it reflects reality because, from what we have been reading, there are a number of ongoing borrowing negotiations, whether from within or from without.

“They have surpassed their revenue targets by August, and they have stopped borrowing. I don’t know how to wrap my head around it.’’

A Professor of Forensic Accounting at Copperstone University, Zambia, Richard Mayungbe, described the Nigerian economy’s recent performance as a result of successful diversification from crude oil dependence.

Speaking on the President’s announcement, Mayungbe said the development reflects a deliberate effort to strengthen non-oil revenue streams.

“The President has diversified the economy from solely relying on crude oil to generating revenue from non-oil sources. This is a major boost for the country and ensures economic resilience,” he said.

According to him, restarting the economy after years of slow growth is a gradual process that requires courage and decisive leadership. He praised the administration for taking bold steps, including the removal of the oil subsidy, noting that the decision had already been necessitated by fiscal realities during the last days of the previous government.

He further highlighted improvements in foreign exchange management, pointing to the unification of multiple FX windows and the stability of the naira. “You no longer have to depend on the Central Bank for access to foreign exchange. Most banks now allow naira cards to be used internationally, which is a sign of a stabilising economy,” Mayungbe argued.

However, in a review of the half-year done by multiple investment houses, borrowings had been projected to increase in H2.

Cardinal Stone mid-year outlook titled, ‘Charting The Sustainability Path,’ noted that Nigeria mostly relied on the domestic market for deficit financing in the first half of the year, with the government issuing about N3tn via Treasury Bills and Bonds, suggesting that a further net issuance of about N10.08tn may be required to cover the estimated deficit for 2025.

During the first half, the Federal Government sought National Assembly approval for $21.00bn, €2.20bn, and ¥15.00bn under its rolling borrowing plan.

Projecting, the analysts said, “We expect a notable increase in external sourcing in H2 25. Precisely, the government has set its sights on raising $1.20bn through the Debt Management Office and a further $2.00bn at concessionary rates through multilateral sources.

‘’These numbers suggest that a cumulative total of N4.90tn (using the official exchange rate of $1,530.00/$ as of June 1, 2025) may be sourced from abroad, with the balance of N5.19tn likely to be raised from the domestic market after catering to rollovers.

“We are of the view that a part of the external borrowings may be used to finance the $1.12bn Eurobond maturity due in November and cumulative coupons of c.$1.38bn,” the report added.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 1,223

Politics

‘Congress by Abure faction exercise in futility’

Published

10 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Newsbreak365_Admin

The chairman of the Labour Party in Abia State Mr Emmanuel Nwaeze Otti, has said recently concluded party congress by a faction of the party loyal to Mr Julius Abure, is an exercise in futility as it didn’t follow due process.

Otti who spoke to the South East Punch on Monday in Umuahia the Abia State capital, stated that the Supreme Court gave a judgment concerning the leadership of the Labour Party, adding all actions at variance to the judgement cannot stand.

He revealed he had approached the court to stop the congress because

Abure lacks the illegal standing to embark on such an exercise on behalf of the party.

He said, “I was the person that went to court to stop the congress because that they didn’t follow the due process.

“Remember that on April this year, the Supreme Court gave a judgment on the right leadership in the party and that judgment must be followed to the latter.

“We have the judgment of the Supreme Court, and that is what we want to follow, and that is what we have decided to follow. So if you are going contrary to the law or the law of the land, what do you expect?

The LP chairman also commended the Governor Alex Otti for his performance since he took over office. He said the party members in the state are happy because the government they brought into power is doing well.

“The government of the Labour Party is doing well in Abia State and because our leader is doing what we expected of him.

“What do you expect when you have a good leader, you should always be happy; the Labour Party members including myself who is the chairman, we are more than happy. We appreciate our governor and we will always pray for him because he is giving us what we want.

Otti also dismissed the insinuations that the governor abandoned the party and many of his supporters after winning the election.

“If Governor would, in his style, bring in people who opposed him from 2014.

And if he will go far, bringing people who carried casket against him, people who said he will not govern this state, and then he will bring them into his cabinet.

“Now, think of the people who followed him. Maybe it’s the opposition who are bringing that insinuation, not the people who joined and who worked with him,” he added.

Post Views: 41

Politics

Osun 2026: Ademola Adeleke may emerge Accord Party gov candidate today

Published

10 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Newsbreak365_Admin

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday, announced Accord Party as his new political platform, disclosing that he had joined the party over one month ago.

The Accord Party holds its governorship primary in Osun State today and Adeleke is expected to participate and may emerge as the party’s candidate for the August 8, 2026, governorship election.

Earlier, Accord Party leadership in Osun State had promised to grant him a waiver to vie for the governorship ticket if he joins the party.

Confirming Adeleke’s participation in the Accord Party’s governorship primary, his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said, “The governor joined Accord Party since November 6. He will participate in the primary of the party. He has fulfilled all the conditions and he has complied with all the requirements.”

On Tuesday, Adeleke also disclosed his intention to seek re-election for a second term under the party.

The governor had weeks earlier resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party.

His resignation letter, addressed to PDP Ward 2 Chairman, Sagba Abogunde of Ede North Local Government, Osun State, was dated November 4, 2025, and obtained by The PUNCH.

Addressing supporters who gathered at the Government House, Osogbo, on Tuesday, Adeleke said he “joined Accord Party more than a month ago” and has since been inspired by the philosophy of the political group.

Accord has scheduled its governorship primary for Wednesday in Osogbo, the state capital and Adeleke is expected to participate in the exercise to contest in the August 8, 2026, governorship election.

On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP held its governorship primary, which produced Adedamola Adebayo (Fryo) as its candidate.

However, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the party had not held its primary.

A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Tuesday, said Adeleke announced his membership of Accord at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, in the presence of national and state leaders of the party.

Addressing supporters gathered at the Government House, Adeleke said, “I joined the Accord Party more than a month ago, precisely on November 6, as a platform to seek re-election in 2026. This was after weeks of consultation and deliberations with stakeholders and opinion leaders.

“Stakeholders and residents of Osun State are aware of why we are taking this important decision. We intend to pursue a second term in office on the platform of the Accord Party to complete ongoing delivery of good governance and democratic dividends, which have been applauded at home and abroad.

“We opted for the Accord Party because its mission of welfarism aligns with our passionate focus on citizens’ and workers’ welfare.

“At this historical point, our task is to sustain a united front as we prepare for the elections. We have a duty to ensure inclusive leadership where the interests of all groups are cared for.

“Our party, Accord, is here to take over Osun governance and sustain the delivery of good governance in our state.”

Adeleke further said, “As a governor, I have prioritised the welfare of our people, from workers to the entire citizenry. Day and night, we implement policies and programmes to elevate the well-being of our people.

“From infrastructure to social services, Osun has never had it so good in governance and service delivery.

“In accordance with the will of our stakeholders and to accord deep respect for the wishes of the Osun people, I hereby declare for the Accord Party.”

Adeleke said he left the PDP due to the ongoing crisis within the party’s national leadership.

His resignation letter read, “Due to the current crisis within the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership with immediate effect.

“I thank the Peoples Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as Senator (representing Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the PDP.”

The PDP leadership in the state, commenting on the governor’s resignation, said Adeleke may no longer seek the party’s nomination for the 2026 governorship election.

The party, however, noted that his decision could change if the internal crises were resolved and the authentic leadership recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission within the official timeline for the Osun governorship poll.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Monday, Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, said the crisis had made it impossible to conduct the party’s governorship primary initially slated for December 2.

According to INEC’s timetable for the August 8, 2026, Osun governorship election, parties must submit the names of their candidates by December 15.

Post Views: 44

Politics

PDP attacks APC over Fubara’s defection

Published

10 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday blasted the All Progressives Congress over the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, accusing the ruling party of orchestrating the political crisis that pushed Fubara out of the PDP.

Reactions emerged from both the state and national levels of the opposition party, with leaders insisting that Fubara’s exit neither weakened the PDP nor altered its structure in Rivers State.

On Tuesday, Fubara officially announced his defection from the PDP to the APC.

Fubara joined Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno; Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah; and his Bayelsa counterpart, Duoye Siri, all of whom defected from the opposition PDP.

With Fubara’s official declaration, all six states in the South-South – Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Cross River – are governed by the APC.

Fubara, speaking during an emergency stakeholders meeting at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, said he left his former party for two reasons: first, that the main opposition party could not protect him, and second, that he is still being addressed as “His Excellency, the Governor,” rather than “former governor,” because of President Bola Tinubu.

At the meeting held 24 hours after visiting the Presidential villa, Abuja, Fubara said his defection was in the interest of the state.

He pointed out that he got the assurances of the President of his support after their meeting in Abuja on Monday evening.

While noting that for the love the President had shown him, he remained indebted, adding that the state had the people, the support and the number to rally round Tinubu.

Fubara further said he would not make the mistake of stepping on any landmine set for him, hence Monday’s visit to Mr President, where he briefed him on the state of things in the state.

He stated, “Our dear leaders, I know you have been expecting to hear from me, especially this meeting that I had to arrange so urgently. But the meeting is going to end with very sweet information.

“You are aware that I went to see Mr President yesterday, and the reason why I went to that meeting is not just a personal visit, but it is a state interest consultation. I don’t want to make any mistakes this time around.

“I also wish not to step on any landmine that anyone is laying for us. So I was with Mr President yesterday to brief him on the situation of things in our state, which I believe he had taken note of, and he is going to act swiftly on it.

“But the most interesting part of the meeting is what you all have been waiting for. What you have been asking me for, the signal has finally arrived. We have the full support.

“We have the positive nod to leave where we are, because we didn’t get any protection. The reason why we are still standing is because of that place.

“And the truth is that without Mr President, there won’t be any His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara. It would have been a former governor.

“Our only ‘thank you’ to Mr President is to support him. And we cannot support Mr President in isolation. We can’t support Mr President if we don’t fully identify with him, not backyard support. So we have taken that decision today since we’ve gotten the pass.”

Fubara continued, “Everyone here who has followed me and suffered with me, our decision today, this evening, we are moving to APC.”

Immediately the governor made the announcement, the hall chorused ‘On your mandate we shall stand,’ with the governor singing along and thereafter ordered the removal of the PDP flag in the Government House.

Fubara added, “Please remove this PDP flag. We don’t need it here again. Now that our position has been made clear, every other formal process will commence. Let me thank you all for your support.

“I’ve not let you down before, I’m not going to let you down. The message is very simple. We are the ones who will give that support, and we will give that support with a loud ovation because we know that the people of Rivers State are with us. Thank you.”

Present at the meeting were the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benibo Anabraba, his predecessor, Dr Tammy Danagogo, former Ambassador to the Netherlands, Oji Ngofa, and all former LG chairmen who served under Fubara, among others.

The PDP described the Rivers situation as a testament to the dysfunctional nature of Nigeria’s 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.”

The Tanimu Turaki-led National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in a statement on Tuesday, warned that Nigeria’s democracy was in danger, stressing that the ruling party’s push toward a one-party system and shrinking of the political space posed a serious threat.

“Democracy is terribly threatened by acts of this kind, and all well-meaning people should unify in condemning this progressive decline of democratic norms.

“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,” he said

The party, however, expressed pity for Fubara for defecting to the APC, insisting that his political troubles were self-inflicted, having willingly taken the path that led to his current predicament.

Ememobong said the Rivers crisis exposed a broken democracy where powerful individuals overpowered institutions and used federal machinery to crush their opponents.

He hoped Fubara did not fall into Stockholm Syndrome, where a victim became attached to his oppressor.

“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.”

Also reacting to Fubara’s defection, factional chairman of the PDP in the state, Robinson Ewor, said the party remained intact, saying Fubara’s exit was nothing new.

Ewor, in a telephone chat with The PUNCH on Tuesday, however, said that though Fubara had just announced his defection, he had left the PDP long ago, even before the end of the emergency rule.

He said the APC-led government fought the governor to a standstill and successfully captured the state while the emergency rule persisted by conducting local government elections and installing choices in addition to dissolving all existing boards and agencies.

He further said the emergency rule was declared in the state essentially with the intent for the ruling APC to take over, insisting that there was no crisis anywhere in the state at the time.

“The governor’s defection to the APC is nothing new as far as I’m concerned. You know that the APC declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, not because there was a crisis in Rivers State, but because they wanted to take over Rivers State. During the state of emergency, they conducted a local government election and took over the 20 LGAs completely.

“Within the same period under review, they appointed all the boards, parastatals and agencies in Rivers State. So Fubara came back with nothing in his hands. If Fubara remains in PDP, he is like a non-existent figure.

“As far as I’m concerned, he has gone long ago, and the APC has captured the state long ago. Not because he wanted to go but because they fought him and they conquered him.”

The factional chairman loyal to the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee, however, said the party remained intact.

“PDP is intact. I remain in PDP. There are other PDP members. So, PDP is one of the registered political parties in the country, in the state.

“There are other states too where the governor defected, and the PDP is still there. States like Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, etc. PDP is still in those states, and in Rivers too, the PDP is still here.”

Recall that the governor’s frosty relationship with the former governor and current Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, escalated into a wider confrontation involving the minister’s allies in the House of Assembly, eventually leading to the declaration of a state of emergency in the state on March 18, 2025.

Tinubu, declaring the state of emergency, suspended Fubara, Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months and appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas as sole administrator.

The President said the decision was taken to restore stability in the state, having witnessed political turmoil as a result of the disagreement between the governor and the lawmakers.

Upon returning from emergency rule on September 18, Fubara’s relationship with the lawmakers remained strained.

On Friday, December 5, 2025, 16 members of the House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, announced their defection from the PDP to the APC, citing the intractable crisis and factionalisation of the PDP.

Earlier, before defecting, the lawmakers had passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu and declared support for his 2027 re-election bid.

Also, on Monday, December 8, 22 of the 23 local government chairmen in the state, under the auspices of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, alongside their ward councillors, declared support for Tinubu’s second-term bid.

The only LGA chairman missing was that of Opobo/Nkoro, where the governor hails from.

The PUNCH reports that in the last LGA election conducted in the state by the sole administrator and now ambassador-nominee, Vice Admiral Ibas (retd), the APC won 20 LGAs while the PDP won three.

On Monday, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Etche-Omuma Federal Constituency, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, told The PUNCH that Fubara’s defection to the APC was likely due to the political developments in the South-South.