The Peoples Democratic Party has criticised the decision of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to leave the PDP for the All Progressives Congress, describing it as a “self-inflicted injury”.
Fubara announced his switch on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt, stating that he “didn’t get any protection from the PDP”.
In a statement released by its national publicity secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the governor knowingly made choices that led to his exit, noting that he effectively walked into the circumstances that resulted in his defection.
Quoting the Latin maxim “Volenti non fit injuria” (to one who is willing, no harm is done), the party argued that anyone who has followed recent political events in Rivers State would see that the governor willingly took the steps that brought him to this point. It added that he cannot now blame the party or others for failing to protect him.
The PDP also expressed hope that the governor does not fall into “Stockholm syndrome — where a victim falls in love with his captor”, saying that despite everything, it wishes him well.
The party further stated that Fubara’s decision reflects the fragility of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, warning that the APC appears intent on turning the country into a one-party system.
According to the statement, the situation in Rivers demonstrates a democracy where individuals outweigh institutions and where federal power can be weaponised to weaken political opponents.
The PDP emphasised that Nigerians and the international community must resist what it described as a growing slide toward electoral authoritarianism, urging collective action to protect the country’s political space.