•We do not know them – APC

•Ogoni accuses Police, judiciary Rivers crisis

 

From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

 

The announcement for 27 lawmakers of Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Wike, has been received with mixed feelings by residents of the state, political parties and groups.

The 27 lawmakers who were elected under the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, announced their defection to All Progressives Congress (APC).

Announcing their defection, the pro-Wike legislators said their decision was as a result of failure of the national leadership to address the lingering crisis in the House of Assembly, which erupted on October 30, 2023, after the aborted plot to impeach the governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

In a swift reaction to the defection, the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to the former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, said if any politician from the ruling party wants to join APC, it should not be through the back door (court).

Spokesperson for the APC faction, Mr. Darlington Nwauju, said: “Well, in all that we see that is playing in Rivers politics, whether in PDP or APC , is the clear selfish agenda of individuals, who could not believe in the common good. That is what is actually at play.

“You must not join APC through the back door. You must join through constitutional means. The constitution is very clear on how to join our party.

“An, so, what we heard that happened today is what I would call “another abracadabra” by those who once described APC as “Stage Four Cancer”.

 

“The big elephant, the face behind all crises within the APC , the face behind all the confusion in the politics of Rivers State would finally end up announcing membership of the APC. I mean the FCT minister. And, so, it is abundantly clear , what we have been talking is now justified.

He said that with the defection of the 27 PDP lawmakers to APC, the opposition in the state has been justified by truthfulness.

“We want to restate the fact that these persons (27 lawmakers) are unknown to us; they are unknown to law. The article which says how people should join APC has been violated. We do not know them; we do not recognize what they have done today.”

On his part, the Chairman of APC Caretaker Committee in the State , Tony Okocha, described the defection of 27 lawmakers as a welcome development.

Okocha said, the State has been run aground, alleging that the developments witnessed during the tenure of former governor (Wike), has taken a back seat for a long time.

He said. “ This administration claim to be running a government of continuity but there is no continuation and continuity just few months away, all the achievements of Wike have been confined in history.

“There is nothing happening in the state, what is happening is quarrel and this is not what Rivers people bargained for. At this point, it is no longer fashionable for the PDP in Rivers State to thrive, it is important the steps are taken to entrench new developments.”

 

Reacting to the political crisis, a group known as the Ogoni Development Drive, (ODD) said the move by the factional lawmakers led by Amaewhule to access the State assembly complex despite court orders restraining the parties involved in the crisis from accessing the complex was a total neglect to the rule of law and condemned the action.

The group led by its President , Solomon Lenu during a briefing yesterday in Port Harcourt blamed the judiciary for the crisis in the State, accusing the judiciary it of complicity

He, therefore, urged President Bola Tinubu to call the FCT Minister, Wike, to order, stating that he (Wike) was determined to throw the State into anarchy by using lawless lawmakers.

The group also blamed the police of compromise , querying why the State Assembly Complex should be opened to a faction when there is a court order restraining the two groups from accessing the complex.

The group urged the new Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, not to allow himself to be dragged into the mud like what happened to former Commissioner of police , Joseph Mbu who was disgraced following his bias actions in the state.

Meanwhile, the PDP has not reacted to the latest development of defection by its 27 lawmakers.

The party’s spokesperson, Tambari Sydney Gbara, when contacted, said the party would issue a statement at the appropriate time.