Nigeria, Dec. 15 -- After months of political hide-and-seek, Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara formally announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) last week. The move did not come as a surprise to many Nigerians. In fact, for a large section of the political class, it felt long overdue, considering the events before, during, and after Fubara's return to office following his six-month suspension under the state of emergency.

What, however, remains deeply puzzling-and is the reason for this intervention-is Fubara's claim that he left the PDP because the party "failed to protect him." When weighed against verifiable facts, this allegation raises more questions than it...