Elderstatesman in Rivers State, Bernard Mikko, has stated that Governor Siminalayi Fubara‘s switch to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not driven solely by personal ambition but by a commitment to ensuring stability in Rivers State and safeguarding his capacity to govern effectively.
Naijaonpoint reports that Mikko, during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, said Fubara’s defection was not unexpected, citing the collapse of the PDP as a functional political platform in Rivers State and across the South.
Mikko emphasised that Fubara’s decision was a rational response to the PDP’s inability to protect its members or maintain party discipline.
He said, “The political environment demands that leaders make strategic choices. Governor Fubara’s move reflects a practical approach to ensuring stability, effective governance, and the welfare of the people of Rivers State.
“Nigerians, this move by Fubara yesterday, or the day before, wouldn’t come to any Nigerian as a surprise. Because the party became so weak immediately after the end of the tenure of President Jonathan.
“And the stakeholders, governors, during that 2014 convention, the first time they walked out of the convention and became the MPDP, which you are very aware of.
“Since then, all the moves they have been doing, I worked then as a special advisor to the policy monitoring, policy evaluation and monitoring. And I saw all what was happening.
“The party members acted brazenly with impunity. The party became a franchise, you know, for trading. And all sorts of things.
“I think he’s right. Riversfield are happy that Fubara has found, he has negotiated his way into a stronger platform that can give him the kind of protection which Riversfield needs. It’s not about him.”
Mikko added that Governor Fubara acted based on intelligence and security considerations.
He stressed, “In politics, the most important thing is to align yourself to where you will be safe. He, as the chief executive of the state, understands perfectly well. We might be sitting on the sidelines. We don’t read security reports. He knows where his bread is buttered.”
“He knows what was going through. He knows what was happening.”
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