Former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has raised concerns over Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s recent defection to the party, warning that the governor may not be politically secure due to internal factional disputes.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Cole stated that Governor Fubara aligned himself with what he described as an illegitimate faction of the APC in Rivers State. He insisted that the Emeka Beke-led executive remains the legally recognised leadership of the party in the state.
Governor Fubara formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in December 2025, a move that was openly endorsed by the party’s national leadership. Following his defection, the governor was presented with an APC membership card by Tony Okocha, who leads a faction of the party in Rivers.
Reacting to the development, Cole said the governor made the wrong choice by associating with the Okocha-led group, stressing that such alignment could create legal and political complications.
“Who is welcoming him to the APC? Who is issuing him the membership card? Where is he registered under? Tony Okocha is not a legally recognised faction of the APC, and that is where the problem lies,” Cole said.
He explained that while Fubara may be recognised at the national level as an APC member, his acceptance by an unrecognised state faction undermines his position within the party in Rivers.
“Even though he is recognised nationally as a member of the APC, the group that welcomed him is not legally recognised. He should come to us, and we will welcome him because we have the legal standing to do so. He is not safe where he is,” Cole added.
Cole acknowledged that Fubara’s decision to defect from the PDP was a smart political move, but cautioned that internal party legality must be properly addressed to avoid future crises.
He further warned the APC leadership against repeating the mistakes of the 2019 general elections, when a court order barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the party’s candidates in Rivers State due to internal disputes.
According to Cole, failure to resolve the factional leadership issue could once again cost the party its electoral chances in the state.
