The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Chief Emeka Beke, has criticized the 27 lawmakers from the state House of Assembly who have denied their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Beke, an ally of former Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, said these lawmakers, led by Martin Amaewhule, cannot deny their membership in the APC after openly defecting.
Beke made these remarks at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Saturday, in response to Amaewhule’s recent claims that he and his colleagues were still members of the PDP.
The pro-Wike lawmakers had announced their defection to the APC amid a political crisis involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, former Governor Nyesom Wike, and current Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In the wake of their announcement, pro-Fubara lawmakers filed a lawsuit to declare the seats of the pro-Wike lawmakers vacant. Additionally, the Action Peoples Party initiated a suit against them at the Federal High Court in Abuja. However, Justice Peter Lifu dismissed the APP’s suit on Friday, deeming it statute-barred.
Following the judgment, the pro-Wike lawmakers denied their defection to the APC.
In response, Beke described their denial as “shameful.”
He stated, “I want to put it on record that those 27 members of the House of Assembly are still members of the APC. The law is clear on defection. They cannot run away from the truth because we all know and saw it when they defected to our party.”
Beke indicated that appropriate disciplinary actions would be taken against the pro-Wike lawmakers after the local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024.
