The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike on Friday said that members of Rivers State House of Assembly who defected to the ruling party are free to do so, noting that nobody can keep them in their former party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that is already factionalised.
Recall that the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and 15 other lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike, who said this in Abuja when he inspecting a road project linking Katampe to Gwarinpa District in the nation’s capital noted that the lawmakers were free to leave PDP. “It’s unfortunate. I have always said 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, members are allowed to leave,” he said. He stressed that despite the development, he remains a member of the PDP.
“I’m still in the PDP. You will see that it’s not everybody that 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,” he stated. Wike urged the PDP leadership to “put its house in order,” warning that continued internal disarray will weaken the party’s relevance and cohesion.
“At the end of the day, if you don’t put your house in order, it is the party that is losing. Those who left are free, but those who have remained in the party, we will continue to work together,” he said. The minister also used the occasion to debunk the report on the social media, claiming that he was arrested in France, saying that it was one of those politically fabricated lies.
“Well, what is important is that you remain focused. Like you said, they were the ones that were arrested,” he said. “On Saturday, we were inspecting Kubwa Road. People would like to distract you. But the moment you are focused, you know what you are doing, you will not be perturbed.”
He recalled previous false claims about his health and whereabouts, noting that such distractions have become routine. “Last time they said I was sick and flown overseas.
This time, they said I was arrested in France. I’m doing my job,” he said. Earlier, the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, his Deputy, Dumle Maol and 14 other lawmakers dumped the PDP for the APC.
