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| Tony Okocha |
Tony Okocha, the factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s potential defection to the ruling party will not absolve him of his political "sins" or guarantee automatic membership.
Speaking to journalists at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, Okocha emphasized that the APC "will not be a sanctuary for politicians seeking escape from accountability."
Okocha stated that even if Fubara defects to the APC, he "must follow due process" and cannot enter through the backdoor.
*"If Fubara decides to join the APC, it has nothing to do with the state of emergency in Rivers State. His sins cannot be forgiven just because he switches parties,"* Okocha asserted.
He further clarified that Fubara has not initiated any genuine reconciliation efforts since the political crisis escalated, despite meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
Okocha stressed that proper defection protocols must be followed: Ward-level defection, Approval from local party leaders and No shortcuts or political maneuvering.
"All politics is local. If Fubara claims to be a politician, he should know he must defect from his ward. So far, no such move has been made," he added.
The Rivers APC chairman also dismissed assumptions that the lifting of the state of emergency means Fubara is politically safe.
"The suspension of the state of emergency doesn’t mean impeachment is off the table," Okocha warned.
Despite Tinubu’s call for peace, Okocha revealed that no meaningful reconciliation talks have taken place between Fubara’s camp and the APC.
"I am not aware of any reconciliatory moves by Fubara. If he had reached out, we would know," he stated.