. Tinubu, Fubara expected back in Nigeria today
Ahead of Thursday’s return to power of the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has begun moves to secure his membership and defection to the main opposition party in the state.
State Publicity Secretary of the APC in Rivers, Darlington Nwauju, gave an indication of this on Tuesday while speaking on Channels Television’s programme, The Morning Brief.
According to Nwauju, “If I were the governor of Rivers State, on my return on Thursday, I would announce my defection to the All Progressives Congress.
“I think the governor should join the APC, and we would gladly receive the governor into our party.”
Asked if Fubara would lead the APC in Rivers if he defected, Nwauju assured that that would be automatic.
“By the convention of our party, if he joins the All Progressives Congress, he becomes the leader of the party,” he added.
On the administration of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), the outgoing sole administrator, who has been running the affairs of the state in the past six months, Nwauju said, “APC has not officially demanded that Ibas give an account of his stewardship for the past six months.
“The budget approval he got was from the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There is a committee from the House of Representatives overseeing the period of emergency.
“I do expect that the committee should be able to do due diligence, come up with that report, and tell Nigerians what they found out. It is one of their core mandates in the business of legislations and lawmaking.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu and Fubara are expected back in the country on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s return to democratic rule in Rivers State.
Tinubu cut short his vacation in France and will return to Abuja, while Fubara is due back from London.
Their arrival comes as the state administrator intensifies preparations for Thursday’s handover, which will mark the end of emergency rule in Rivers.
Tinubu had travelled out of Nigeria on September 4 for his annual holiday in France and the UK, originally planned to last until September 10, but ended his trip earlier than scheduled.
