KEY POINTS
- The defection crisis impact widened tensions in Rivers.
- Wike says defected lawmakers are free to leave the PDP.
- The PDP still has lawmakers who plan to work with him.
Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike says the lawmakers who left the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State have made their choice and are free to move on. He said his team would keep working with the lawmakers who stayed back in the party.
Wike spoke after inspecting an interchange project that links Maitama, Gishiri, Jahi, and Gwarimpa. His comments came hours after 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress.
Lawmakers free to leave PDP
Amaewhule told his colleagues at the plenary session that the PDP’s internal divisions pushed the lawmakers to switch parties. He said he had joined the APC and would work with President Bola Tinubu.
He said the President had a plan for the country. The defection added another layer of strain to an already tense political climate in Rivers. The state has dealt with weeks of disagreements around control, loyalty, and rising cracks within party structures.
Wike pledges support for loyal members
According to Punch, Wike said the split was “unfortunate”, adding that the PDP’s internal breakdown created room for exits. He said the Nigerian Constitution allows elected officials to leave if a party is in factions.
He noted that 16 or 17 out of 27 lawmakers moved, leaving about 10 still in the PDP. He said those who remained would continue to work with his camp. He said the defectors had not informed him, but that the decision was theirs.
Wike said he would stay in the PDP. He urged the party to fix its problems so it could act as a credible opposition force. He said the party risked losing more ground if it failed to settle internal disputes. He said his focus would be on the lawmakers who stayed and on creating space for the party to remain relevant, and concluded that the lawmakers who left were free to do so.
