RIVERS ASSEMBLY 27: OUR DEFECTION CONSTITUTIONAL. (PHOTO).

Rivers Assembly 27: our defection constitutional

The 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have not violated the constitution, their leader, Martins Amaewhule, said yesterday.

He spoke at the APC stakeholders meeting in Port-Harcourt, the state capital, where the lawmakers received the party logo after their admittance into the chapter.

Amaewhule, who justified the defection, said he and his colleagues acted within the provisions of the constitution.

He said: “Some days ago, we defected inside the hallowed Chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly in line with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic if Nigeria.

“We made sure that we followed due process. We made sure that we did not do anything outside the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

“The constituency has given people room to defect; Section 109(1)(g) allows serving legislators who want to defect to do so, but with a proviso that there is a division in the party upon which they got to the House of Assembly; and indeed, there is clearly a division in the PDP.

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“So, in line with that section, we defected to the APC.”

Amaewhule added: “This explanation is important to educate those who do not know the provisions of the constitution on the matter, but think that we did not meet the requirements of the constitution in doing this.

“Again, the constitution equally stated that it is the Speaker who should give effect of Section 109(1) to the movement, and by virtue of the provision, members have the right, and have exercised the right because of the division in the PDP.”

At the ceremony were the National chairman of the party, Dr. Umar Ganduje, represented by the National Legal Adviser, Abdulkarim Kana, and the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka. 

Amaewhule, who represents Obio/Akpor Constituency 1, said none of the defectors went back to their vomit as being speculated in some quarters.

He said apart from one of them who is out of the country on health ground, 26 lawmakers attended the dedication service .

Amaewhule stressed: “Twenty-seven of us who defected to the APC recently are intact and are all present here on this podium, except one person who is not here on health ground.”

He chided the PDP for keeping mute when the House of Assembly complex was set on fire by unknown arsonists.

Amaewhule said: “The party never said anything when the House of Assembly was burnt down. They neither made any official statement in that regards nor condemned the act.

“A whole hallowed chamber of a state legislature was burnt down. The party never condemned it. No written statement, no official statement. That shows that they were not interested in what was going on in the House of Assembly.”

He lauded the policies of President Bola Tinubu, urging the people of the state to support his efforts at turning around the country.

Amaewhule said: “I am not saying that all is well in the country, but what we’re saying is that President Tinubu has started well, and the foundation is strong. So, he needs the support of Nigerians,.

“We have taken a decision to be in the APC. We will work with Mr. President and we will give him all the support he needs. We want to be among those who be on the side of history; supporting Mr. President so that he can turn the fortunes of this country around.”

Amaewhule praised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for living to expectation as a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

He urged the people to support indigenes holding any federal appointments so that they can attract Democratic dividends to the state.

Receiving them into the fold, Ganduje described the APC as a party for the common man, hailing the defectors for their decision.

He said: “The APC is party for the people, it is party for common man. The President recognised that the people are with the members of the House of Assembly in this struggle and that is the reason we respect their decision, action and move to join the party of the people, to join in moving Nigeria forward, grow and unite the country and make APC a national party.”

The APC Caretaker Committee (CTC) Chairman, Tony Okocha, said APC will right the wrongs and halt the bad leadership in the state.  

“Today’s meeting is not to remind you of your sordid past. It is rather for us to forge ahead for a great feature.

“We will not brood over anger of what has happened before. We’re here to plan for our feature.

“If that is the case, the I owe you a duty to apologise to APC members in Rivers state, please, accept our apologies.

“We have goofed over time. We have flopped our chances over them. Going forward, APC will no longer be a social club in Rivers State.”

During the church service, the presiding priest of the Niger Delta North Diocese of the Anglican Church in Rumuopara, Ven. Chimela Samuel, urged political office holders to seek and treasure wisdom so that they can succeed in their mandates.