By Charles Pemu 
PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE – With the state’s return to democratic rule just days away, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is actively making moves to bring the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara into its fold.
The call was made by Rivers State APC spokesman, Darlington Nwauju, during an appearance on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” on Tuesday. Nwauju openly invited the governor to defect, stating, “If I were the governor of Rivers State, on my return on Thursday, I would announce my defection to the All Progressives Congress.” He added that if Fubara were to join the party, he would automatically become its leader in the state, in accordance with APC’s convention.
The move comes as President Bola Tinubu and Governor Fubara are both expected to return to the country on Tuesday ahead of the handover ceremony on Thursday. Tinubu reportedly cut short his vacation in France, while Fubara is returning from London, as the state prepares for the end of the six-month emergency rule.
Nwauju also commented on the administration of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), who has been the state’s administrator for the past six months. While the APC has not officially called for an audit of Ibas’s stewardship, Nwauju said he expects the House of Representatives committee overseeing the emergency period to conduct due diligence and report its findings to the public.
Ibas, who was appointed by President Tinubu to manage the state’s affairs during a period of political turbulence, has defended his tenure, stating that he fulfilled his mandate and stabilized the state. However, opposition parties have called for an investigation into his management of state resources during the emergency rule.