Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has publicly declared himself the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
He made the announcement on Friday during the flag-off ceremony for the Rivers State airport bypass and tollgate project.
“From this moment, it is not an issue of ‘e be like say or e no be’. I am there with all my chest and heart,” Governor Fubara stated.
He confirmed his official defection to the APC on Wednesday, explaining that the move was primarily to secure the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
“We are going to do everything to make sure that 2027 election for Mr President would be a smooth drive in Rivers,” he said.
Fubara appealed for public support, framing his party switch as the essential way to show gratitude to President Tinubu’s administration.
The governor’s defection and declaration follow a prolonged political crisis with his predecessor, former Governor and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, which led to Fubara’s suspension from his former party in March and a six-month state of emergency declared by the Federal Government.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
