Wike: Defected Rivers Lawmakers Free To Leave PDP

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said the 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) are free to do so, insisting that political choice is a constitutional right.

Wike stated this on Friday while briefing journalists after inspecting the ongoing construction of a major interchange connecting Maitama, Gishiri, Jahi, and Gwarimpa in Abuja.

During a plenary session earlier on Friday, 16 lawmakers, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, announced their defection to the APC, citing “deep divisions” within the PDP as justification in line with constitutional provisions.

Amaewhule said he was joining the APC to “work with Mr President,” adding that President Bola Tinubu “means well for the country.”

Reacting, Wike described the mass defection as “unfortunate” but admitted that the PDP’s internal crisis played a significant role in the lawmakers’ decision.

“It’s unfortunate. I have always said everybody has the right to make a choice. The party is fully factionalised, and the Constitution provides that when a party is factionalised, members are allowed to leave,” he said.

He noted that despite the defections, the PDP still retains a sizeable number of lawmakers.

“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 about 10 remaining, and we will continue to work together. They never told me, but they have the right,” he added.

Wike, a former Rivers State governor, reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP and urged the party leadership to urgently resolve its internal problems to remain relevant.

“I’m still in the PDP. For those who have remained, we’ll continue to work together. I have told the party to put its house in order, because if they don’t, it is the party that will lose.

“We still ask the party to work together to ensure the remaining members constitute a viable opposition. But they chose not to. So for me, those who have left are free. Those who remain, we will continue to work with them.”