Why we defected to APC – 17 Rivers lawmakers

In a significant political realignment, seventeen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, have officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing ongoing internal crisis within the PDP as the primary reason.

In a move the lawmakers announced during a plenary session on Friday, the factional APC Chairman in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, was present in the legislative chamber to formally welcome the defectors.

This leaves ten members remaining in the PDP within the House. Notably, three other lawmakers who have staunchly supported Governor Siminalayi Fubara throughout the state’s prolonged political crisis have not attended sittings since the last peace agreement and their current affiliation is unclear.

This marks the second major defection announcement from the assembly in recent months. In December 2023, 27 lawmakers initially declared a move to the APC but later recanted, claiming media reports were fabricated. A legal battle over those seats, which were declared vacant at the time, ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the legislators due to insufficient proof of defection.

The list of defectors includes prominent figures such as Speaker Martin Amaewhule (Obio-Akpor I), Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol (Gokana), and several others representing constituencies across the state.

In response, the ten remaining PDP lawmakers have appointed Sylvanus Nwankwo (Omuma Constituency) as their new Minority Leader.

Announcing his decision, Speaker Amaewhule stated, “I have written to my Ward Chairman of my decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party. APC is my new party… I am happy to be a member of the APC so that we can join forces with Mr. President. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well for Nigeria… I am delighted to be part of the APC so we can support the President from within.”

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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