President of the Ijaw National Congress, Professor Benjamin Okaba, has said there is nothing wrong with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), especially if it contributes to resolving the ongoing political crisis in the state.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, Okaba addressed speculation about Fubara’s possible defection following the governor’s recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” he stated, emphasizing the fluid nature of party politics in Nigeria.

“At this point, we need to be realistic and understand the nature of Nigerian politics. We operate a kind of ‘malutocracy’. 

What we have are no longer ideological political parties, but platforms for political contests,” Okaba explained. “These platforms are used by individuals to move from one position to another. When state governors or even former vice-presidential candidates switch parties with ease, it’s clear that party loyalty has become secondary. One governor even reportedly said, ‘If you don’t move with me, I’ll sack you.’”

Okaba also referred to Governor Fubara’s recent remark in which he expressed a willingness to do anything necessary to restore peace in the state.

President Tinubu had, on March 18, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the State House of Assembly for six months. He subsequently appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas as the interim administrator to oversee governance in the state.