Sixteen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, moved from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on Friday. The announcement was made during plenary, where Amaewhule explained why he and the other lawmakers left the PDP.
Amaewhule told lawmakers that internal problems within the PDP pushed them out. He said he had already informed his ward chairman about his exit and had completed his move to the APC. He also stated that he was glad to join a party where he believed he could work closely with the President and support him from within the ruling party.
During the plenary, Amaewhule praised President Bola Tinubu’s approach to governance and said the President had shown care toward Rivers State. According to him, joining the APC would give the lawmakers a better opportunity to support the President’s plans for the country.
The defection comes at a time when Rivers State has been dealing with a long-running political feud. Since late 2023, there has been a major split between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and lawmakers loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike. Amaewhule leads the faction connected to Wike, and the clash between both sides has led to attempted impeachment efforts, repeated confrontations, and court judgments that recognised different leaders of the Assembly at different times.
At the national level, the PDP has continued to deal with unresolved internal issues, including disputes involving Wike and the party’s leadership. The lawmakers’ claim of division within the party matches the ongoing struggles within the PDP, which has witnessed several realignments and defections in recent months.
Their departure adds a new layer to the political crisis in Rivers State, where the battle for control between the governor and Wike’s loyalists has deepened tensions both in the state legislature and within the PDP.