The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has received 26 state lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who recently joined the party.
The lawmakers were received in a ceremony chaired by the Rivers APC Caretaker Chairman, Tony Okocha, on Monday at the Port Harcourt Polo Club.
The 26 lawmakers in attendance at the event were led by the factional speaker, Martin Amaewhule, who is loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Speaking at the event, Okocha accused the Rivers State Government led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara of masterminding the arson of the State Assembly.
He said: “I challenge the Governor (Sim Fubara and the PDP) to prove to Rivers people that they are not the ones responsible for the burning of the Rivers Assembly.
“How did the fire ‘catch’ the place?”
Reacting to the demolition of the State House of Assembly by the Rivers Government, Okocha said the move will not stop the lawmakers from performing their legislative functions.
The APC caretaker chairman claimed that the lawmakers could meet and make laws anywhere because the Assembly is not the building but the human beings inside the structure.
He said: “How many days ago, we were told that they had pulled down the assembly – as early as 7:00 am – they pulled down the assembly. But let’s say this clearly: assembly does not infer a structure. Assembly is not a building. Assembly is the human beings who are members of the assembly.
“So, our assembly members that have defected to us – 27 of them – are free to meet anywhere as far as the symbol of authority – the maze – is there.”
Speaking on behalf of the defected lawmakers, Amaewhule maintained that they are still members of the assembly despite their seats being declared vacant by the Edison Ehie group.
He said: “We made sure that we followed due process. We made sure we did not do anything outside the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. The Constitution has given room for people to defect,” he told the audience comprised mostly of APC chieftains.
“That is why Section 109 Subsection 1(G), allows serving legislators who want to do so with a proviso that there is a division in the party upon which they rode to the house of assembly. So, in line with that provision, we defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
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