By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said the internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) contributed to the defection of 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The minister stated this on Friday, December 5, while addressing journalists after inspecting the ongoing construction of an interchange bridge connecting Maitama, Gishiri, Jahi, and Gwarimpa in Abuja.
He also noted that the defected lawmakers are free to leave the PDP, adding that his camp would continue to work with the remaining lawmakers still loyal to the party.
Sixteen Rivers House of Assembly members, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, announced their defection from the PDP to the APC during a plenary session on Friday.
Amaewhule, who cited divisions in the PDP as the reason for the defection, said he was now a member of the APC and would “join hands with Mr President,” noting that the President “means well for the country.”
Reacting to the defection, Wike described the development as “unfortunate,” adding that the party’s internal crisis contributed to the lawmakers’ exit.
He said: “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.”
Wike also stated that he remains a member of the PDP and urged the party to put its house in order.
He said: “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.”
