The Peoples Democratic Party has condemned the fresh defection of sixteen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the All Progressives Congress, saying their move amounts to what it described as “defection from APC to APC”.
The party said the lawmakers had taken the same step in the past and later reversed themselves.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the lawmakers had consistently acted as “political puppets” loyal to a “paymaster and demigod”.
He said their actions had slowed democratic progress in the state.
According to him, “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature. So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC.”
The party said it would begin legal steps to recover the seats from the lawmakers, insisting that the members won their mandates under the PDP and had “ignobly and surreptitiously switched to another platform”.
Ememobong urged members of the party in the state to remain committed, saying that efforts were ongoing to rebuild the party on fairness and equity.
The Speaker, Honourable Martin Amaewhule, led the sixteen lawmakers to the APC. He said the decision was driven by the leadership crisis within the PDP.
Addressing the House during the announcement, Amaewhule declared, “Distinguished colleagues, APC is my new party. I will do all that is needed to be done towards ensuring that the party card of the All Progressives Congress is issued to me in no time. But as I speak today, I am a member of the All Progressives Congress. I am happy to be a member of APC so that we can join forces with Mr President. Mr President is doing so much for this country.”
Although the PDP did not name the “paymaster” it referred to, the lawmakers are known allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike. They had backed him during his political dispute with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The fallout led to a breakdown in the state’s political environment and the intervention of Tinubu, who placed the governor and democratic structures on suspension for six months under an emergency rule.
Reacting to the defection in Abuja, Wike declared his support for the lawmakers and argued that their move was constitutional.
He said, “It’s unfortunate. I have always said everybody has the right to make a choice. The party is fully factionalised. And the requirement of the constitution is that when a party is factionalised, members are allowed to leave.”
He added that he remained a member of the PDP and said the party still had about ten lawmakers in the Rivers Assembly.
