The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has achieved total control of Nigeria’s South-South region following the defection of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The governor announced his resignation from the PDP and officially joined the APC on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
This development marks a significant political shift, as the APC now controls all six states in the South-South region, which is where Nigeria’s oil resources are largely deposited.
When President Tinubu’s administration began, the APC only controlled Cross River State in the South-South. However, over the past two years, the party has systematically gained control through electoral victories and defections. The APC won Edo State in an off-season election in 2024, and governors from the remaining four states abandoned the PDP to join the APC in 2025.
The APC now controls 26 of Nigeria’s 36 states. The PDP has six states under its control, while the Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Accord Party, and All Progressive Grand Alliance each control one state.
This political realignment in the South-South represents one of the most significant shifts in the region’s political landscape since the 2015 general elections, particularly given that Rivers State was traditionally considered a PDP stronghold.
