The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and quit the party.
Amaewhule quit the PDP alongside 15 other members of the House on Friday. They dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They attribute their defection to the leadership crisis and division within the PDP as the reason for their move.
Amaewhule and the 15 lawmakers are loyalists of the former governor of the state and incumbent minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Others who left the PDP with the Speaker include the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol (Gokana); Major Jack (Akuku-Toru); Linda Stewart (Okrika); Franklin Nwabochi (Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni); Azeru Opara (Port Harcourt 3); Smart Adoki (Port Harcourt 2); Enemi George (Asari-Toru 2); and Solomon Wami (Port Harcourt 1).
Also included were Igwe Aforji (Eleme); Tekena Wellington (Asari-Toru 1); Looloo Opuende (Akuku-Toru 2); Peter Abbey (Degema); Arnold Dennis (Ogu/Bolo); Chimezie Nwankwo (Etche); and Ofiks Kabang (Andoni).
Recall that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State earlier this year, in March, following a power tussle between Governor Sim Fubara and Wike.
He suspended Fubara and his Deputy alongside members of the State Assembly.
Since the return of democracy in 1999, the PDP has had a nearly unchecked and unchallenged control of the state, until a protracted crisis rocked the state, pitting lawmakers against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
With the defection of the 15 lawmakers to the APC, the party is poised to become the majority in the state assembly. The defection also occurred amid a gale of defection of top PDP members and governors to the PDP.
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