The factional Caretaker Chairman of the People's Democratic Party in Rivers State, Nname Ewor, has launched a scathing attack on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, accusing him of deceiving party leadership and abandoning the PDP amid the state's protracted political turmoil.
Allegations of Deception and Broken Promises
Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Ewor claimed that Governor Fubara initially promised party leaders he would wrest political control from the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike. However, the governor allegedly later boasted that President Bola Tinubu would compel the Rivers State House of Assembly to pass the budget and pressure Wike to support Fubara's re-election bid.
Ewor stressed that the people of Rivers State have a right to know the full content of all agreements brokered by President Tinubu before the state's emergency rule was lifted in 2025. He insisted that Governor Fubara must disclose these details to the citizens whose mandate he holds.
A Timeline of Crisis and Defection
Ewor recounted the events that led to the prolonged political instability. He stated that disagreements between Governor Fubara and the State House of Assembly members within his first year in office culminated in the bombing of the Assembly chambers.
A peace pact facilitated by President Tinubu initially resolved the crisis, but it later collapsed, leading to the declaration of a State of Emergency in March 2025. Another peace agreement brokered during this emergency period was not documented, leaving citizens in the dark about its terms. This eventual collapse prompted Fubara's defection to the All Progressives Congress in December 2025.
Ewor also highlighted Governor Fubara's absence from the PDP National Convention in Ibadan in November 2025, questioning the governor's "double standard" in demanding party participation while personally abstaining.
Unfulfilled Conditions and Calls for Accountability
The factional chairman addressed Minister Wike's recent "thank you visits" to the 23 local government areas, praising PDP's 2023 electoral support. He revealed that Governor Fubara had allegedly agreed to several conditions before the emergency rule was lifted, which he has failed to honor.
These conditions reportedly included:
- Stepping down from a second-term bid.
- Reinstating Ohna Sergeant Awuse as Chairman of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council.
- Making personnel changes in key administrative positions.
"While the issue of a second term is ultimately the Governor's prerogative and that of his party, Rivers people deserve full disclosure of the agreements reached before the President," Ewor stated, emphasizing the need for accountability.
Following the November convention, the PDP National Working Committee constituted the current Rivers State Caretaker Committee in December 2025, with Ewor as chairman. The committee includes prominent figures like Prince Uche Secondus, Rt. Hon. Austen Opara, Abiye Sekibo, Celestine Omeha, and Senator Lee Maeba. Ewor affirmed the committee's validity pending court rulings on litigation challenging the convention outcomes.
In a notable political alignment, Ewor declared support for President Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027 and aligned with Wike's initiatives, reiterating the PDP's commitment to peaceful governance and the welfare of Rivers State citizens.
