Why We Dumped PDP For APC - Rivers Assembly Members

 

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State have revealed why they dumped the party and defected to the All Progressives Congress.

 

Recall that the twenty-seven PDP members of the House of Assembly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.

 

The defectors action attributed their defection to the protracted crisis in the party’s national leadership.

 

They explained that their defection had nothing to do with the crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Wike, his predecessor.

 

Led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, the lawmakers dumped the PDP at plenary, chiding Governor Siminalayi Fubara for refusing to hand over former Majority Leader Edison Ehie and others to the police for investigation into their alleged involvement in the arson on the House of Assembly complex.

 

Ehie is leading a group of four members of the House of Assembly.

 

The Rivers Assembly is made up of 32 members. One members died recently.

 

In their letters to the Speaker, the lawmakers also attributed their defection to the division triggered by the tussle for the position of the National Secretary of the party.

 

They complained that the conflicts has made communications channel hazy and difficult.

 

The letter was read on the floor of the House.

 

With the defection, PDP now has only five members in the Assembly.

 

The lawmakers sang the familiar partisan anthem:” On-your-mandate we shall stand,” waving the APC flags.

 

Many of them shouted “Jagaban” throughout the process as they posed for a group photograph, before they left the complex.

 

According to the lawmakers, the confusion surrounding the position of the National Secretary has led to a plethora of court cases instituted by party members.

 

They accused Fubara of shielding suspected arsonists who attempted to set the Assembly ablaze.

 

In a motion sponsored by 26 lawmakers and moved by Sylvanus Nwankwo (Omuwa Constituency), they condemned the seizure of funds for the management of the Assembly.

 

The lawmakers condemned the brazen and unlawful attack on them and the Assembly as an institution.

 

According to them, the governor should release funds meant for the management of the Assembly for  November.

 

They threatened to decline requests from Fubara for approvals, adding that his actions are no longer in tandem with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the laws of the state.

 

The lawmakers later deliberated on the Rivers State Local Government Law (Amendment) Bill 2023, which was at its Second Reading.

 

The bill was sponsored by the Leader of the House and member representing Akuku Toru Constituency 1, Majority Jack.

 

Members unanimously declared that some sections of the local government law were repugnant and needed to be amended to ensure that elected local government officials were not at the mercy of any individual.

 

Amaewhule sent the bill to the House Committee on Local Government to conduct a public hearing and make further inputs within two weeks.