Johnchuks Onuanyim 
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s recent visits to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not shield him from the consequences of his actions, should he consider defecting to the party.
Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, Sir Tony Okocha, on Tuesday, described Governor Fubara as a “sinner” whose political misdeeds must not go unpunished.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Okocha insisted that the APC would not serve as a haven for political offenders.
He stated that even if the embattled governor were to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, his “sins” would remain intact.
“Fubara’s decision to join the APC, if he ever makes it, has nothing to do with the call for a state of emergency in Rivers State. His sins cannot be forgiven simply because he came into our party,” Okocha said.
“You don’t jump into the APC and expect automatic forgiveness. That would reduce our party to a dumping ground for political misdemeanants who expect reconciliation by default. It doesn’t work that way.”
He added that Fubara had not formally reached out to the APC in Rivers State, and insisted that any defection must follow proper procedures beginning from the ward level.
“I’ve asked around—none of my ward chairmen have received any information about Fubara joining the APC. He will enter through the door, not the window. There are processes involved, and as a politician, he should know that all politics is local,” Okocha stated.
When asked about the implications of Fubara’s recent Sallah visit to President Tinubu, Okocha dismissed concerns, saying the APC was not disturbed by the meeting.
“How can I be worried that someone visited the President? Don’t forget, it was during the Sallah season. Even former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, also paid a Sallah homage. We also saw Chief Nyesom Wike with the President. We cannot dictate who the President sees,” he said.
Okocha also refuted reports suggesting Fubara was making reconciliatory moves with the party, stating categorically that no such efforts were known to the APC.
“I am not a prophet of doom, but to the best of my knowledge, there is no reconciliation going on. Visiting the President does not equate to reconciliation. As far as we are concerned, Fubara has made no attempt at peace,” he said.
It will be recalled that Governor Fubara recently visited President Tinubu at his residence in Lagos during the Sallah festivities, a move that has stirred controversy and speculation over its political implications.
