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Sixteen members of the Rivers House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, have officially announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“APC is my new party. I will do all that is needed to be done towards ensuring that the party card of the APC is issued to me in no time,” Mr Amaewhule said on Friday, Channels TV reported.
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The speaker, a strong ally of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, leads 26 lawmakers who are also loyal to the minister. The PDP recently expelled Mr Wike from the party, alongside 10 others.
Their formal announcement comes days after the speaker accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of allowing public schools in the state to deteriorate.
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The defection also comes about 48 hours after the Amaewhule-led Assembly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term. Mr Wike serves as a minister in Mr Tinubu’s administration.
Crisis, defection and political realignment
Rivers State has been locked in a prolonged power struggle since Mr Wike fell out with Governor Fubara shortly after the governor took office.
The crisis escalated to the point where President Tinubu declared a state of emergency, suspended the governor and the legislature for six months, and appointed Ibok-Ette Ibas, a retired naval chief, as the sole administrator of the state.
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The governor and the lawmakers were reinstated in September after Messrs Fubara and Wike reportedly signed a truce.
Before leaving office, Mr Ibas organised local government elections in which the APC won in 20 councils, while the PDP won in three.
The defection pattern in the assembly appears to mirror that political outcome. Of the 26 lawmakers, 16 have now defected to the APC, while 10 remain in the PDP, where they were immediately assigned principal offices.
Sylvanus Nwankwo of Omuma Constituency was named minority leader. He was sworn in alongside three other minority officers, according to Channels TV.
With this alignment, Mr Wike continues to wield influence over the political structures of both APC and PDP in the state legislature.
Crisis, defection and adjournment
On the eve of the first impeachment attempt against Mr Fubara, the state assembly complex was partly bombed. The governor subsequently awarded a contract for the construction of a new assembly building.
During a recent inspection, Mr Fubara announced that the new complex was 95 per cent completed and that he intended to present the 2026 budget there.
However, shortly after their defection, the legislators adjourned their sitting until next year.
READ ALSO: PDPs 26-year rule in Taraba ends as governor, lawmakers formally join APC
They also passed a motion to continue legislative activities at the current temporary complex until 2027, a development that could undermine the governor’s plan to relocate the lawmakers to the new facility.
“It is important that members seize this opportunity to visit the various constituencies in Rivers State. We need to see and hear from our people so we can know how best to serve and represent them,” one of the lawmakers said.
Another member, Linda Stewart, reaffirmed the House’s resolution to retain the House of Assembly Quarters as its venue for legislative business, according to Channels TV.
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