Former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has faulted Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s defection to the ruling party, insisting that the governor joined what he described as an “illegal” faction of the APC in the state.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Cole stated that the faction of the APC led by Emeka Beke remains the only legally recognised structure of the party in Rivers State. He argued that any political move outside that framework lacks legitimacy under the law.
Governor Fubara formally left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in December 2025 and defected to the APC, a move that was publicly welcomed by the party’s national leadership. His defection marked a major political shift in Rivers State and attracted widespread attention across the country.
Following his defection, Fubara was presented with an APC membership card by Tony Okocha, who leads a faction of the party in the state. However, Cole maintained that Okocha’s group does not have legal standing within the APC in Rivers.
Reacting to the development, Cole said the governor took a “wrong step” by aligning himself with the Okocha-led faction, stressing that Fubara cannot be lawfully recognised as an APC member in Rivers State until he registers under the Emeka Beke-led leadership.
While describing Fubara’s defection as a smart political decision that is generally welcomed within the APC, Cole clarified that legality must be followed. He said the governor would be fully accepted once he aligns with the faction recognised by the courts.
Cole further asserted that he remains the leader of the APC in Rivers State, citing a court judgment that upheld the Emeka Beke-led faction as the authentic leadership of the party. According to him, the legal case was initiated by the faction that produced him as the party’s gubernatorial candidate and was decided in their favour.
He explained that, based on the court ruling, any individual or group claiming leadership of the APC in Rivers State outside the Beke-led structure has no legal recognition. Cole questioned the legitimacy of Fubara’s reception into the party, asking who issued his membership card and under which recognised party register he was enrolled.
Although acknowledging that Fubara has been accepted at the national level of the APC, Cole warned that the governor’s position remains uncertain at the state level because the faction that received him lacks legal status. He urged Fubara to align with the recognised leadership, assuring that he would then be formally welcomed and protected within the party.
Cole also cautioned the APC against repeating the mistakes of the 2019 general elections, when internal party disputes in Rivers State led to a court ruling that barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the party’s candidates.
