Wike Reacts: Rivers Assembly Defectors Didn’t Inform Me Before Joining Rivers Defection APC

Rivers Assembly: In a massive political upheaval in Rivers State, seventeen members of the State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, December 5, 2025. This dramatic shift of allegiance involves lawmakers who are widely known as political allies of the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

Speaking in Abuja following the defection, Minister Wike confirmed the reports, but disclosed that the lawmakers did not inform him of their decision to quit the PDP beforehand. Wike characterized the event as “unfortunate,” but maintained that the legislators were within their constitutional rights, given the ongoing internal turmoil within the PDP.

Wike attributed the lawmakers’ move directly to the fact that the PDP is “fully factionalised,” a condition that, under Nigerian constitutional law, allows elected officials to change parties without forfeiting their seats.

• Political Calculation: The defection shifts the balance of power significantly within the 32-member Rivers Assembly. Wike noted that despite the high-profile exit of 16 or 17 members, approximately 10 members remain within the PDP, adding that he would “continue to work together” with them.
• Wike’s Status: The Minister stressed that he himself remains a member of the PDP, even as the Taminu Taraki-led faction of the party had recently announced his expulsion.

Wike used the opportunity to urge the PDP national structure to urgently resolve its internal leadership crisis, arguing that if the party fails to “put your house in order,” it is the PDP itself that will ultimately lose relevance. He concluded that while those who left were free to do so, his focus remains on working with the loyal members to maintain a relevant opposition.

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This mass defection follows another significant political move just two days prior, when the entire 32-member Assembly passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu and urged him to seek re-election, further signaling the deep alignment between the lawmakers and the APC-led Federal Government. Fore information, I recommend songbux.