“We Would Gladly Receive Fubara” — Rivers APC Spokesman

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has extended an open invitation to Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the state prepares to return to democratic rule on Thursday, six months after his suspension by President Bola Tinubu.

The party’s spokesman, Darlington Nwauju, made the call during an interview on Channels Television’s *The Morning Brief* on Tuesday. “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 him,” Nwauju said.

When asked about Fubara’s possible role if he defected, Nwauju affirmed that by the party’s convention, the governor would automatically become the leader of the APC in Rivers State.

Nwauju also commented on the administration of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd.), who has served as Administrator of the state during the emergency period. He noted that the APC had not officially demanded an audit of Ibas’s stewardship. He explained that oversight for the period rested with a House of Representatives committee tasked with reviewing the budget and operations under the emergency arrangement.

Both President Tinubu and Governor Fubara are expected back in the country on Tuesday. Tinubu is returning to Abuja from France after ending his vacation ahead of schedule, while Fubara is due back from London in time for Thursday’s reinstatement. Meanwhile, the state’s transition committee is intensifying preparations for the handover as Rivers marks the end of emergency rule.