Rivers PDP Denies Membership of 27 Lawmakers Amidst Defection Controversy

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that the 27 members of the State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, are no longer members of the party.

This follows their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023 amid a political rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

The defection of the lawmakers, who are loyal to Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), came during an attempt to impeach Governor Fubara.

In response to the ongoing political crisis, Governor Fubara stated on May 6, 2024, that the Amaewhule-led group of lawmakers “do not exist anymore in the eyes of the law.”

“Let me say it here, those groups of men who claim that they are assembly members, they do not exist. I want it to be on the record,” Fubara declared.

The governor and other stakeholders argued that the lawmakers’ defection was illegal, as there was no crisis within the PDP to justify their exit.

On May 9, Governor Fubara’s spokesperson, Chukwudi Nelson, announced the emergence of Victor Oko-Jumbo, representing Bonny State Constituency, as the factional speaker of the assembly.

Fubara subsequently dismissed the 27 lawmakers, recognizing only the Oko-Jumbo-led faction as legitimate.

However, a Rivers State High Court ruled on Monday that the embattled lawmakers are still members of the PDP and that their seats cannot be declared vacant.

Justice Okogbule Gbasam, the presiding judge, dismissed a suit filed by Wosa Amadi and others seeking to declare the lawmakers’ seats vacant, stating that their defection could not be proven through newspaper publications, radio announcements, or online reports.

Despite the court ruling, Rivers PDP Spokesman Sydney Gbara reiterated on Tuesday that the 27 lawmakers are no longer members of the PDP.

Gbara pointed out that the lawmakers publicly announced their defection during a plenary session and have since been actively participating in APC activities.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. These are people who had already announced on the floor of the assembly during a plenary that they have left the PDP for the APC and they did a public show to that effect,” Gbara said.

“It was a function covered by national television and it is everywhere on social media.

They were duly received by the APC caretaker chairman, Tony Okocha, who welcomed them into the party, and ever since then, the lawmakers have been participating in all APC activities.”

When asked about the possibility of the lawmakers rejoining the PDP, Gbara stated, “If they want to join the PDP again, they should apply to the party and then we will look at it and do the necessary things required.”