Rivers Crisis: APC to Sanction Pro-Wike Lawmakers Over Defection Denial, Details Emerge

• The Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly members, loyal to FCT minister Nyesom Wike, have landed in fresh trouble
• Emeka Beke, the Rivers APC chairman vowed to deal with the lawmakers for publicly denying their defection to the APC and insisting they are still PDP members, following a court judgement
• Legit.ng reported that the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday dismissed APP's suit seeking to declare the seat of the pro-Wike lawmakers vacant

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Emeka Beke, has criticized the 27 lawmakers from the state House of Assembly who have denied their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Rivers APC vs pro-Wike lawmakers: Matters arising

Beke, asserted that these lawmakers, led by Martin Amaewhule, cannot deny their membership in the APC after openly defecting.

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The Rivers APC chairman made these remarks at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Saturday, September 21, in response to Amaewhule’s recent claims that he and his colleagues were still members of the PDP.

This comes after Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja dismissed a defection suit instituted against the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.

Amid a political crisis involving Wike, and Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Action Peoples Party (APP) initiated a suit against pro-Wike lawmakers at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Insisting Amaewhule and 26 others were no longer members of the house

However, Justice Peter Lifu, on Friday, September 20, dismissed the APP’s suit, deeming it statute-barred.

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Reacting to judgment, the pro-Wike lawmakers denied their defection to the APC.

In response, Beke described their denial as “shameful.”

As reported by The Punch on Monday, September 23, 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.”

Pro-Wike lawmakers lose bid to stop Fubara

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the crisis rocking the Rivers state assembly worsened following the move by pro-Wike lawmakers targeted against Governor Fubara.

The Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly had moved to stop Fubara from spending the state's funds.

However, a court rejected the suit sponsored by Wike lawmakers and refused to halt all expenditures by Governor Fubara.

Source: Legit.ng