- ‘Defected Rivers Lawmakers Free to Leave PDP’ – Wike.
- Wike said defectors acted within their rights and called the development unfortunate.
- He urged PDP to resolve its crisis while vowing to work with loyal lawmakers.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said the 17 defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were free to leave the Peoples Democratic Party.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that sixteen lawmakers, including the Speaker, left the PDP for the All Progressives Congress on Friday, citing divisions within the party. Amaewhule said he had joined the APC and would “join hands with Mr President,” adding that the President “means well for the country.”
Speaking with journalists after inspecting an ongoing interchange project linking Maitama, Gishiri, Jahi and Gwarimpa in Abuja, Wike said his team would continue working with the lawmakers who stayed back in the PDP. He described the defections as “unfortunate” and linked them to internal disputes within the party.
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.”
Wike added that not all lawmakers defected, noting that the PDP still retained about 10 members. “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.”
The former Rivers governor reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP and called on the party to resolve its internal issues.
“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 said.
