Six members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), further weakening the opposition party in the State.
The Speaker of the House, Rt.Hon.Abbas Tajudeen announced the defections during plenary on Tuesday.
The lawmakers who switched parties are Dumnamene Dekor (Khana/Gokana), Solomon Bob (Abua-Odual/Ahoada East), Cyril Hart (Degema/Bonny), Victor Obuzor (Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni), Blessing Chigeru (Port Harcourt II) and Felix Nweke (Eleme/Oyigbo/Tai).
In separate letters read on the floor of the House, the lawmakers blamed their decision on what they described as worsening internal crises, leadership disputes and irreconcilable divisions within the PDP.
They also said their defection was aimed at supporting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The latest development strengthens the APC’s presence in the House of Representatives and adds to the growing wave of political realignments in Rivers State.
Last week, four other lawmakers from the state, Awaji Inombek, Boma Goodhead, Manuchim Umezurike and Boniface Emerengwa also defected from the PDP and the Labour Party to the APC.
The defections come shortly after Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, moved from the PDP to the APC, a development many observers see as part of a coordinated shift by his political allies.
Governor Fubara, a former PDP member, joined the APC following a prolonged political dispute with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over control of the PDP structure in the state.
The disagreement has since triggered a series of defections across Rivers’ political landscape.
With the latest exits, only three PDP lawmakers from Rivers State remain in the House: Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, Kelechi Nwogu and Kenneth Chikere.
The defections, however, were immediately challenged by the minority caucus. Rising on a point of order, Minority Whip Ali Jesse cited Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that a lawmaker must vacate his seat if he defects from the party that sponsored his election, except in cases of party division or merger.
“A member who was elected on the platform of a political party is expected to vacate his seat if he defects before the end of his term,” Jesse said, adding that some of the lawmakers were fully aware of the constitutional implications.
Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda also questioned the practice of announcing defections on the floor of the House, arguing that such actions undermine the integrity of Parliament.
“There is no law that requires a member to come to the floor of the House to announce a defection,” Chinda said. “If anyone wants to move, they should follow the constitutional process and return to their constituents.”
Responding, Speaker Tajudeen dismissed the objections, insisting that lawmakers have the right to inform the House of a change in party affiliation.
“There is nothing unconstitutional about informing colleagues,” the Speaker said, adding that such announcements do not amount to an offence.
He went on to welcome the defecting lawmakers and expressed optimism that more opposition members would join the APC in the coming weeks.