Six members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers are Dumnamene Dekor, Cyril Hart Godwin, Solomon Bob, Victor Obuzor, Blessing Amadi, and Felix Uche. Their separate letters of defection were read on the floor of the House on Tuesday by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen.
They attributed their decision to the lingering leadership crisis and deep internal divisions within the PDP, which they said had hindered their ability to effectively pursue their legislative and political objectives.
The defections come just days after four other Rivers lawmakers also switched allegiance to the APC from the PDP and the Labour Party (LP), further weakening the opposition in the state.
Those who earlier left the PDP are Boniface Emerengwa (Ikwerre/Emuoha Federal Constituency), Awaji-Inombek Abiante (Andoni/Opobo Federal Constituency), and Boma Goodhead (Asari-Toru Federal Constituency). Manuchim Umezuruike, who represents Port Harcourt I Federal Constituency, defected from the Labour Party.
The lawmakers had similarly cited protracted leadership crises and factionalisation within their former parties as reasons for their exit.
The wave of defections is believed to be linked to the ongoing political realignment in Rivers State following the recent defection of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the APC.
With these latest developments, only three members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State remain outside the APC. They are the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, Kelechi Nworgu, and Anderson Allison Igbiks, all of the PDP.
In a related development, two senators from Rivers State also defected from the PDP to the APC on Tuesday. They are Senator Barinada Mpigi (Rivers South-East) and Senator Allwell Heacho Onyesoh (Rivers East).
Their defections were announced in separate letters read during plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. In the letters, the senators cited the PDP’s lingering internal crisis and deepening divisions as factors that had made it difficult for them to effectively discharge their legislative responsibilities.
