By Muhammad Mamman
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara says several prominent political figures previously aligned with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have now shifted their allegiance to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Speaking during a public event in Port Harcourt, Fubara announced that key Atiku loyalists — former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Austin Opara, former Rivers State Governor Celestine Omehia, and former Minister of Transport Abiye Sekibo — had all resolved to “follow him” in backing Tinubu for a second term.
The governor said the politicians’ decision came amid sustained attempts to blackmail him over his perceived closeness to the former PDP presidential candidate.
According to Fubara, the wave of political realignment in the state is not a product of coercion but a deliberate choice by leaders who “understand the direction the state is going”.
He also issued a veiled remark aimed at the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, with whom he has been locked in a prolonged political feud.
“When you see a dog barking, it shows it doesn’t understand,” Fubara said. “We know where we are going, and we have set all the things that are needed to make the journey smooth.”
The development marks the latest shift in Rivers State’s tense political landscape, signalling a broader reshuffling of loyalties ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
