You’re enemies of democracy, PDP slams defecting Rivers lawmakers

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the defection of 17 Rivers State lawmakers to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing their action as reckless and an act of betrayal carried out at a critical moment for the state’s democracy.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said the lawmakers had portrayed themselves as “enemies of democracy by abandoning the platform through which they were elected.”

He accused them of undermining the mandate of Rivers people and destabilising the legislature for partisan gain.

Seventeen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, dumped the PDP for APC on Friday during a plenary, attributing the move to what he described as a “division” within the PDP.

He said, “Distinguished colleagues, APC is my new party. I will do all that is needed to be done towards ensuring that the party card of the APC is issued to me in no time. But as I speak today, I am a member of the APC. I am happy to be a member of APC so that we can join forces with Mr President. Mr President is doing so much for this country.

“As of today, even the national headquarters of the PDP is not functioning as a result of this division. There are two factions, and the constitution is clear that when there is a division in any political party, when the party is divided, members including Assembly members who no longer have hope can leave the party without any consequences.

“That is why I had to make this clear, that the foundation for this defection is the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

However, Ememobong said there was nothing surprising about the development, noting that they simply moved from APC back to APC.

He stated, “This is a case of re-defection; they had previously defected then later denied it. The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made a mockery of the legislature.

“So, the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC.”

At the Friday plenary, the House expressed concern over Fubara’s delay in submitting the list of commissioners’ nominees for screening, with the Speaker calling it a breach of the constitution. The House adjourned plenary to the 26th of January, 2026.