Victor Ezeja
The showdown between the two top politicians in Rivers State assumed a new dimension on Monday as 27 members of the state House of Assembly who are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers, including the factional Speaker, Matthew Amaewhule, announced their defection, in a letter read on the floor of the Assembly, citing division within the PDP as the primary reason for their defection to the APC.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn the letter, which was also addressed to the state’s acting chairman of PDP and signed by all the 27 lawmakers, the defectors cited the division at the national leadership of the party for their decision to quit the PDP.
The crisis in the 32-member Assembly had begun as a result of a rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Wike who was the immediate past governor of the State.
Meanwhile, some political players from other parties over the weekend announced their defection to the PDP group loyal to Governor Fubara.
Leading the defectors from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the APC were the deputy governorship candidate of the SDP in the 2023 election, Patricia Ogbonnaya; and former Ahoada-West Chairman, Karibo Wilson.
Among those who received the defectors were some Ehie-led group of lawmakers, including the member representing Ahoada West, Goodboy Sokari representing the governor alongside Oko Jumbo from Bonny Constituency.
