Wike :  Rivers lawmakers’ defection to APC  ‘unfortunate’ but ….

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Friday reacted to the exit of several Rivers State House of Assembly members from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the lawmakers were at liberty to leave the party.

Wike spoke with journalists after inspecting the ongoing construction of an interchange linking Maitama, Gishiri, Jahi and Gwarimpa in Abuja.

He noted that his political allies would continue to collaborate with legislators who have remained with the PDP.

Describing the defection of the lawmakers as “unfortunate,” the minister attributed their departure to internal issues within the PDP.

“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.

“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,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka.

Wike also dismissed claims that he was informed ahead of time about the planned defections.

“They never told me, but they have a right,” he said.

Reaffirming his membership of the PDP, the former Rivers State governor urged the party to address its internal challenges.

“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’.

“And we still ask the party to work together to see how the remaining members will be a relevant opposition. But they chose not to.

“So for me, those who have left are free. But those who remain in the party, we will continue to work together,” he added.

Seventeen lawmakers, including the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, announced their switch from the PDP to the APC during Friday’s plenary session, citing divisions in the PDP. Amaewhule said he would support President Bola Tinubu, insisting the President “means well for the country”.