A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Sani, has revealed why the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, did not attend the party’s national convention held in Oyo State at the weekend.

Fubara was one of the governors elected under the platform of the PDP who were conspicuously absent from the ongoing party’s convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Also absent were the governors of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, and Agbu Kefas of Taraba State. The latter has announced he would be leaving the PDP soon.

However, governors Ahmadu Fintri of Adamawa State, Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, and the host, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, attended the event.

It was gathered that Fubara also boycotted the convention over his ties with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike-led faction of the party.

DAILY POST reports that despite conflicting court orders aiming to stop the exercise, the convention has already kicked off.

Sani claimed that Fubara is in a cage and is neither here nor there when it comes to participation in the party’s activities.

“Fubara has been caged. And you know it. You know that all the landmines that were placed before him to make him not be interested in participating in politics are there,” he said on Arise TV.

“Fubara is neither here nor there. He has not come out publicly to say he’s no longer a member of the PDP, and that is why, in our program of activities at the convention, his picture was there, because he’s still a member of the PDP, unless he says otherwise.

“Now you just told me that the governor of Taraba is completing his medical [treatment] and going on transfer to APC; that makes him, you know, an outgoing member of the PDP. He has already made a declaration. But as far as we are concerned, Fubara has not made any declaration. He’s still a member of the PDP.

“And there’s nothing we can say other than to say he’s still a member.

“I don’t think there was that need for us to [call Fubara to attend the convention] because it is an invitation that is extended to every member of the party; you are invited to come or at liberty not to come.

“So we don’t have to call him on the phone or do anything other than to invite him.”