UPDATED: 16 RIVERS LAWMAKERS DEFECT TO APC FROM PDP
Read Time:1 Minute, 48 Second
Sixteen members from the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martin Amaewhule, have left the Peoples Democratic Party and joined the All Progressives Congress. Amaewhule shared the lawmakers‘ decision during a meeting on Friday, explaining that they did so because of a clear split within the PDP.
He told lawmakers he had formally notified his ward chairman of his exit from the PDP, adding that he had already joined the APC.
He said, “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.”
Amaewhule praised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, saying the President “means well for Nigeria’’ and had shown “love to Rivers State.”
He said that helping the President from within the APC is now the main focus for the lawmakers, and he stressed that the ongoing conflicts inside the PDP have made it impossible for them to stay members any longer.
Since late 2023, Rivers State has been dealing with a long–running political conflict between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the legislature who support his former leader, Nyesom Wike.
Amaewhule is leading the group that is loyal to Wike, and the legislature has taken several actions, including trying to impeach the governor, which has made things more tense.
This internal struggle has also caused disagreements in the courts about whether the Amaewhule-led legislature is legitimate.
At different times, courts have supported either Amaewhule or Edison Ehie, who is now the Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara, as the Speaker.
At the national level, the PDP continues to face internal problems, including ongoing conflicts between Wike and the party’s leadership.
The lawmakers’ mention of “division” within the PDP matches a pattern of alliances and changes in loyalty that have come from the party’s unresolved internal issues.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0