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Decries Defection of Amaewhule, 15 Other Rivers Lawmakers from PDP to APC
- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed his reported expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as he reaffirmed his membership with the party.
Wike made this known while reacting to the defection of Rivers State House Assembly Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, and 15 other lawmakers from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
NPO earlier Reported Amaewhule’s announcement of his defection alongside the other lawmakers during the assembly plenary session.
The Rivers Speaker who spearheads the Wike faction of the House Assembly lawmakers had cited the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP as reasons for his defection.
Reacting to the development, Wike described the defection as unfortunate.
He however maintained that the lawmakers are free to leave the PDP, adding that his camp would continue to work with the remaining lawmakers still loyal to the party.
Wike, according to a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, stated this on Friday while addressing journalists after inspecting the ongoing construction of an interchange bridge connecting Maitama, Gishiri, Jahi, and Gwarimpa in Abuja.
The Minister affirmed Amaewhule’s claim of the leadership and internal crisis within the party.
“Well, it’s unfortunate.
“I have always said that everybody has the right to make a choice. The party is fully factionalised.
“And the requirement of the Constitution is that when a party is factionalised, they are allowed to leave the party.
“You will see that it’s not everybody who has left. I believe 16 or 17 of them have left out of 27. We still have a good number, about 10, and we will continue to work together. They never told me, but they have a right,” he said.
As against his expulsion from the party, the former Rivers State Governor reiterated that he remains member of the PDP.
“I’m still in the PDP. So those who have remained, we’ll continue to work together. And I have said to the party, put your house in order.
“Because at the end of the day, if you don’t put your house in order, it’s the party that will lose.
“And we still ask the party to work together to see how the remaining members will be a relevant opposition.
“But they chose not to. So, for me, those who have left are free. But those who remain in the party, we will continue to work together,” he added.