The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the defection of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as “pitiful.”

Fubara announced his decision to leave the PDP for the APC at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

In his address at the meeting, Governor Fubara claimed that he did not receive protection from his former party, which influenced his decision to join the ruling party.

Reacting to the development in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP, led by Kabiru Turaki, said the governor “willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination.”

According to the PDP, having chosen this path voluntarily, Fubara cannot turn around and accuse the party of abandoning or failing to protect him.

“Everyone who has followed the developments that culminated in this uneventful defection will recall that the Governor willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination. Having done so voluntarily, he cannot turn around and accuse our party, or any other person or group, of abandoning or failing to protect him.

“Whilst a person at a crossroad of threats of existential proportion may suffer from temporary amnesia caused by trauma, the Governor should have nothing less than praise for our party, civil society organisations, and all Nigerians who freely stood up in his defence since this crisis started, until he capitulated.

“It is our prayer that the Governor does not suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, where a victim falls in love with their captor. In all, despite these, we pity the Governor and wish him well,” the PDP’s statement said.

The party added that the development is further evidence of the dysfunctional nature of democracy in Nigeria, where individuals are bigger and stronger than institutions.

“Furthermore, the Rivers situation is a testament to the dysfunctional nature of our democracy, where individuals are bigger and stronger than institutions and can use the apparatus of the Federal Government to suppress political opponents and bring them to their knees. Democracy is severely threatened by acts of this kind, and all well-meaning people should unite in condemning this progressive decline of democratic norms.”

While alleging that the ruling APC is relentless in its pursuit of a one-party state, the PDP urged everyone to come together to oppose possible authoritarianism.

“Finally, we reiterate to Nigerians and the global community that with the unrelenting disposition of the ruling party towards the attainment of a one-party state and the constriction of the political space, democracy is under severe attack in Nigeria. Everyone must rise together to oppose this ignoble path toward electoral authoritarianism.” (Channels)

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