… gives reason for defection of lawmakers
Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike to join the party because he’s needed.
APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Tony Okocha, said the party is in power, hence Wike should join.
He spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt after 27 state lawmakers defected to the APC.
Asked if the defection was part of plans for Wike to join APC, Okocha said: ”I don’t think so.
”Whatever their reason is, when they get to the bridge they will cross it.
‘’Wike is a politician whose name shakes and echoes in the society; so nobody can think or say for him if he will defect to APC or not.
“In 2023, he immensely aided the victory of APC in the state.
‘’The best thing we are asking him to do is to come and join the APC because it is the government in power.”
Okocha claimed the lack of governance in the state is the reason for the defection of 27 members of the state Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Recall that 27 Rivers State lawmakers had on Monday defected to the APC from the PDP.
The lawmakers, who defected from the PDP to the APC, are those under the faction of the embattled Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule and loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Reacting to the development, Okocha described the defection of the former PDP state lawmakers as “heaven’s gains” for the APC.
Okocha who is also the Rivers State representative at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Management Board, noted that the party in the state has been officially communicated on the defection of the lawmakers to the party.
He said, “We have invited you this evening to indeed convey our boundless joy over what I call heaven’s gains that we benefited from as a party.
“Today, we received 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members all of PDP porting to our dear party, the All Progressives Congress on the floor of the Assembly.
“Initially it seemed like a rumor, yet we saw them flaunt APC flags but we have been officially communicated on that move and we felt that it is not a thing that on our own, we will discuss over a bottle of water.
“We felt we should let Nigerians know what has happened, and the good thing that has happened, happened for APC Rivers State.”
Okocha commended the defected Assembly members.
He said 27 lawmakers cannot equate with four lawmakers.
The APC CTC Chairman said it is unacceptable for Governor Siminalayi Fubara to give credence to only four Assembly members over 27, noting that, “We have gone past the era of 16 being above 19. I hope you remember that era where 16 was deemed to be higher than 19.
“And again, the Assembly members who have defected, had confided in me that leadership/governance in Rivers State has been run aground, that there is no government in Rivers State.”
Okocha said the current administration in the state was built on the ground of “consolidation and continuity” but noted that the actions of the governor (Fubara), is in “complete aberration” of the initial plan.
He added that nothing is happening in the state, saying, “There is hunger in the land”.
According to Okocha, the defection of the 27 lawmakers will play the role of checks and balances in the government, adding that this is the best decision the lawmakers took, despite some people saying it came late.
He said, “We commend them and we receive them with open arms.”
