The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) are “free to leave,” insisting that his political camp will continue to collaborate with the lawmakers who have remained loyal to the PDP.
Wike made the remarks on Friday while speaking to journalists after inspecting the ongoing construction of an interchange bridge linking Maitama, Gishiri, Jahi, and Gwarimpa in Abuja. His comments followed a dramatic turn of events earlier in the day, when 16 lawmakers—among them Speaker Martins Amaewhule—announced their defection during plenary.
Amaewhule, who cited internal divisions within the PDP as justification for his move, declared his allegiance to the APC and pledged to support President Bola Tinubu, stating that the President “means well for the country.”
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Describing the development as “unfortunate,” Wike said the crisis within the PDP had undeniably contributed to the lawmakers’ decision to abandon the party. However, he maintained that defection under such circumstances was permitted by the constitution, particularly when a political party is “factionalised.”
“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,” he said.
While acknowledging that the scale of the defection was significant, Wike pointed out that not all lawmakers had left. “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.
The former Rivers State Governor reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP, urging the party’s leadership to address its internal problems before the situation worsens.
“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 said.
Wike stressed the importance of unity among the remaining PDP lawmakers, warning that the party risks further weakening its position if the infighting persists. “Those who have left are free. But those who remain in the party, we will continue to work together,” he concluded.
The mass defection marks another escalation in Rivers State’s ongoing political tensions, raising fresh concerns about stability within the state legislature and the PDP’s national cohesion.
