Six lawmakers from Rivers State in the House of Representatives have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The defectors—Robinson Dekor, Solomon Bob, Cyril Hart, Victor Obuzor, Blessing Amadi, and Felix Nwaeke—were originally elected on the PDP platform. According to House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, they left the PDP because of “divisions and unresolved political crisis” within the party, which they said hindered their ability to pursue their political aspirations. The lawmakers expressed their intention to align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The defections reduce the PDP’s representation in the Rivers State caucus of the House of Representatives from twelve members to just two. The remaining PDP lawmakers are House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda and Kelechi Nwogu. This latest wave follows a similar trend, as three other Rivers State PDP lawmakers defected to the APC just last week.
The mass defection is likely to have significant implications for the political landscape in Rivers State and the balance of power in the House of Representatives. The move may be seen as a strategic effort by the lawmakers to advance their political careers amid the current Nigerian political climate. Internal conflicts and power struggles have plagued the PDP, while the APC has been actively seeking to expand its membership and strengthen its national position. These defections underscore ongoing realignments and power shifts within Nigeria’s major parties, and their impact on the future of both the PDP and the APC in Rivers State and beyond remains to be seen.
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