Politics
Adeleke bolts to Accord Party, Fubara crosses to APC in seismic political shift
Written By: Chisom Onyibe
10 Dec 2025 05:36 AM
In a dramatic double blow to Nigeria's main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), two sitting governors announced their departures on Tuesday, accelerating a wave of defections that could reshape the nation's political landscape ahead of the 2026 and 2027 elections.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke formally joined the Accord Party, declaring it his platform for re-election, while Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing unwavering support from President Bola Tinubu amid ongoing state crises.
Governor Adeleke, 65, made his announcement at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Osogbo, flanked by national and state leaders of the Accord Party.
Revealing he had secretly joined the party on November 6, Adeleke framed the move as a strategic necessity to sustain his administration's welfare-focused agenda without the "persistent leadership crisis" plaguing the PDP's national structure.
"I joined the Accord Party more than a month ago as the platform to seek re-election in 2026," Adeleke stated, emphasizing alignment with the party's welfarism ideology.
Adeleke added, "As a governor, I have prioritized the welfare of our people, from workers to the entire citizenry. Day and night, we implement policies and programmes to elevate the well-being of our people."
He urged unity across Osun's senatorial districts, declaring, "From Osun West to Osun East to Osun Central, this is our party, our new platform for victory come August next year."
Adeleke's resignation from the PDP, dated November 4 and announced publicly on December 2, cited irreconcilable internal disputes.
"Due to the current crisis within the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership with immediate effect," he wrote in a letter to his ward chairman in Ede North.
The defection comes after reports that Adeleke was denied entry into the APC two months prior, forcing him to seek alternatives.
The Accord Party, which now claims its first sitting governor, has scheduled its gubernatorial primary for Wednesday in Osogbo, where Adeleke is expected to clinch the ticket for the August 8, 2026, off-cycle election.
In Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara, 48, dropped his bombshell during a stakeholders' meeting at the Government House, just a day after a closed-door session with President Tinubu in Abuja.
"Siminalayi Fubara has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC)," he declared to cheers from assembled leaders, framing the switch as "a gesture of reciprocity" for Tinubu's intervention in Rivers' protracted political feud with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
"The PDP abandoned me when I was facing battles. The APC stood by me," Fubara said, referencing the 2023 crisis that nearly derailed his governorship.
"If President Tinubu had not intervened, there wouldn’t be a Siminalayi Fubara today... We have the people and supporters with us. Our decision is to move to the APC and fully support the President’s second-term bid."
He added that the move ensures a "stable political environment" for governance, free from PDP's "lack of protection" for Rivers' interests.
Fubara's announcement follows the defection of 17 PDP lawmakers, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule to the APC last week, tipping the Rivers House of Assembly firmly into the ruling party's control.
The assembly had recently passed a vote of confidence in Tinubu, urging his 2027 re-election.
Analysts see Fubara's move as the culmination of Tinubu-brokered peace talks, potentially neutralizing Wike's influence in the oil-rich state.
The PDP swiftly labeled Fubara's exit a "self-inflicted injury," with party spokespeople decrying the loss of a key South-South stronghold.
These defections leave the PDP with just four governors, down from eight earlier this year as the APC swells to 28, solidifying its dominance. The Labour Party, APGA, NNPP, and now Accord each hold one. With Taraba's Agbu Kefas and Plateau's Caleb Mutfwang rumored to be eyeing APC jumps, the opposition's fragility is stark.
In Osun, Adeleke's shift injects fresh energy into the 2026 race, where the APC has already disqualified several aspirants. In Rivers, Fubara's alignment could unlock federal resources but risks escalating Wike tensions, despite the minister's reported "free to leave" stance on assembly defections.
As Nigeria hurtles toward pivotal polls, these moves underscore a pragmatic realignment, that is governors prioritizing stability and personal legacies over party loyalty.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke formally joined the Accord Party, declaring it his platform for re-election, while Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing unwavering support from President Bola Tinubu amid ongoing state crises.
Governor Adeleke, 65, made his announcement at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Osogbo, flanked by national and state leaders of the Accord Party.
Revealing he had secretly joined the party on November 6, Adeleke framed the move as a strategic necessity to sustain his administration's welfare-focused agenda without the "persistent leadership crisis" plaguing the PDP's national structure.
"I joined the Accord Party more than a month ago as the platform to seek re-election in 2026," Adeleke stated, emphasizing alignment with the party's welfarism ideology.
Adeleke added, "As a governor, I have prioritized the welfare of our people, from workers to the entire citizenry. Day and night, we implement policies and programmes to elevate the well-being of our people."
He urged unity across Osun's senatorial districts, declaring, "From Osun West to Osun East to Osun Central, this is our party, our new platform for victory come August next year."
Adeleke's resignation from the PDP, dated November 4 and announced publicly on December 2, cited irreconcilable internal disputes.
"Due to the current crisis within the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership with immediate effect," he wrote in a letter to his ward chairman in Ede North.
The defection comes after reports that Adeleke was denied entry into the APC two months prior, forcing him to seek alternatives.
The Accord Party, which now claims its first sitting governor, has scheduled its gubernatorial primary for Wednesday in Osogbo, where Adeleke is expected to clinch the ticket for the August 8, 2026, off-cycle election.
In Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara, 48, dropped his bombshell during a stakeholders' meeting at the Government House, just a day after a closed-door session with President Tinubu in Abuja.
"Siminalayi Fubara has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC)," he declared to cheers from assembled leaders, framing the switch as "a gesture of reciprocity" for Tinubu's intervention in Rivers' protracted political feud with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
"The PDP abandoned me when I was facing battles. The APC stood by me," Fubara said, referencing the 2023 crisis that nearly derailed his governorship.
"If President Tinubu had not intervened, there wouldn’t be a Siminalayi Fubara today... We have the people and supporters with us. Our decision is to move to the APC and fully support the President’s second-term bid."
He added that the move ensures a "stable political environment" for governance, free from PDP's "lack of protection" for Rivers' interests.
Fubara's announcement follows the defection of 17 PDP lawmakers, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule to the APC last week, tipping the Rivers House of Assembly firmly into the ruling party's control.
The assembly had recently passed a vote of confidence in Tinubu, urging his 2027 re-election.
Analysts see Fubara's move as the culmination of Tinubu-brokered peace talks, potentially neutralizing Wike's influence in the oil-rich state.
The PDP swiftly labeled Fubara's exit a "self-inflicted injury," with party spokespeople decrying the loss of a key South-South stronghold.
These defections leave the PDP with just four governors, down from eight earlier this year as the APC swells to 28, solidifying its dominance. The Labour Party, APGA, NNPP, and now Accord each hold one. With Taraba's Agbu Kefas and Plateau's Caleb Mutfwang rumored to be eyeing APC jumps, the opposition's fragility is stark.
In Osun, Adeleke's shift injects fresh energy into the 2026 race, where the APC has already disqualified several aspirants. In Rivers, Fubara's alignment could unlock federal resources but risks escalating Wike tensions, despite the minister's reported "free to leave" stance on assembly defections.
As Nigeria hurtles toward pivotal polls, these moves underscore a pragmatic realignment, that is governors prioritizing stability and personal legacies over party loyalty.
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