The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reacted to the defection of 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the ruling All Progressives Congress, stating they are free to leave the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wike made the statement on Friday in Abuja, following the lawmakers’ announcement during a plenary session. Led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, the defectors cited deep divisions within the PDP as their reason for joining the APC, with Amaewhule pledging to “join hands with Mr. President.”
Addressing journalists after inspecting an infrastructure project, Wike described the development as “unfortunate” but constitutionally permissible given the PDP’s internal crisis.
“Well, it’s unfortunate. I have always said that everybody has the right to make a choice. The party is fully factionalised. And the requirement of the Constitution is that when a party is factionalised, they are allowed to leave the party,” Wike said.
He emphasized that his camp would continue to collaborate with the approximately 10 lawmakers who remain in the PDP, asserting that the defectors’ departure was their personal right.
“You will see that it’s not everybody who has left. I believe 16 or 17 of them have left out of 27. We still have a good number, about 10, and we will continue to work together. They never told me, but they have a right,” he added.
While reaffirming his own membership in the PDP, Wike issued a stern warning to the party leadership to resolve its factional disputes to avert further attrition.
“I’m still in the PDP. So those who have remained, we’ll continue to work together. And I have said to the party, put your house in order. Because at the end of the day, if you don’t put your house in order, it’s the party that will lose,” he stated.
He concluded by framing the remaining loyalists as the core for a viable opposition, urging the party to rally behind them.
“We still ask the party to work together to see how the remaining members will be a relevant opposition. But they chose not to. So for me, those who have left are free. But those who remain in the party, we will continue to work together.”
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