Port Harcourt — Former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has raised concerns about the political and legal standing of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC, warning that Fubara may be “not safe” due to aligning with a faction that lacks legal recognition within the state.
Cole’s remarks were made during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Saturday and reflect deepening factional disputes within the APC in Rivers State.
Cole said the Emeka Beke-led faction of the APC remains the legally recognised leadership in Rivers State and that Fubara’s decision to join the faction led by Tony Okocha could place his party status and future political prospects in jeopardy. “Who is welcoming him (Fubara) to the APC?
Who is the one issuing him the membership card? Where is he registered under? Now Tony Okocha is not a legally recognised faction of the APC, and that is where the problem is,” Cole stated, according to multiple accounts of his comments.
Fubara formally defected from the PDP to the APC in December 2025, a move publicly acknowledged by the APC national leadership, and was presented with his APC membership card by factional leader Tony Okocha at the Government House, Port Harcourt. Cole described the defection itself as a “smart political move” but criticised Fubara’s choice of faction within the party.
The former APC candidate emphasised that the party’s internal legal disputes must be respected to avoid repeating past electoral challenges, pointing to the 2019 Rivers State election crisis, when internal APC disagreements led a court to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the party’s candidates.
“He should come. We will recognise and welcome him because we have the legal standing to do so. He is not safe where he is,” Cole said.
The factional contest within the Rivers APC has broader implications for governance and electoral politics in the oil-producing state. Internal disputes over party leadership and legal recognition have previously affected candidate nominations and electoral outcomes, raising questions about cohesion within the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Political analysts note that Fubara’s alignment with an internally contested faction may complicate efforts to consolidate APC’s influence in Rivers State, particularly as party unity remains a key factor in competitive elections. The legal standing of internal party structures could determine not only membership legitimacy but also eligibility for future nominations under INEC guidelines.
Calls for clarification and resolution of the factional dispute have grown, with observers urging both factions to seek judicial affirmation to prevent further political uncertainty.
As the party navigates these internal challenges, Fubara’s political alignment and strategic decisions in the coming months are likely to shape Rivers State’s political landscape and influence APC’s competitiveness in subsequent elections.
