The Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Ngozi Odu, defected from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday.
The Port City News (TCPN) learnt that Odu registered as an APC member at her ward in Akabuka town, Ward 8, Unit 11, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state.
After completing her registration, Odu openly declared her support for President Bola Tinubu, singing “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand,” a song closely associated with the President.
Her defection came weeks after Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara also dumped the PDP for the APC.
This newspaper reported that Fubara joined the ruling party after meeting Tinubu, during which he pledged his support for the President and vowed to work for his re-election.
Following his defection, Fubara collected his APC membership card from Tony Okocha, the party’s Rivers State chairman, who said he acted on the directive of the APC national secretariat.
Okocha disclosed that the instruction came from Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC National Chairman. After receiving his membership card, Fubara declared himself the number one leader of the party in Rivers State.
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However, the declaration drew opposition from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Fubara’s predecessor, who argued that defection alone did not automatically confer party leadership.
Yilwatda later clarified the issue, stating that Fubara was not yet the party’s leader in the state. He explained that the APC constitution provides that governors of APC-controlled states automatically serve as party leaders in their respective states.
“In all the states, the governors lead the party in their respective states,” Yilwatda said.
He added that while governors were recognised as party leaders, they were expected to carry all stakeholders along and uphold the principle of inclusion.
“At the same time, we tell governors who have leaders at the national level to respect inclusion,” he noted.
Yilwatda further disclosed that if Fubara emerged as the APC candidate after winning the party’s primary election, the party would work tirelessly to secure his re-election.
