Rivers APC Refutes Defection of 27 Lawmakers, Slams Governor Fubara for Lawlessness
Claims that the 27 troubled members of the Rivers State House of Assembly switched from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State branch have been denied.
Despite intense rumors, APC state chairman Tony Okocha maintained during a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that the lawmakers never formally joined the party.
According to reports, Okocha emphasized that the December 2023 event at the Port Harcourt Polo Club was a celebration of the inauguration of the APC’s state executive council, rather than a reception for the departing lawmakers as many had assumed.
Regarding defection claims, Okocha declared explicitly that he did not receive Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule and his colleagues into the APC, noting that the lawmakers just attended the Polo Club function as friends.
“Organizing a reception for what we weren’t holding was not the plan,” Okocha said.
“We decided to host a celebration and show our gratitude to our members after our inauguration in Abuja. He clarified that it was not to receive the 27 MPs.
“We were misunderstood to have received the 27 lawmakers into APC,” he continued. That’s not right. Individual Assembly members were invited. Over time, I have developed a bond with them. We made an effort to win them over to the party. I made a conscious effort to invite them to join us. If we had been successful, we would have been overjoyed.
Accused of Disobeying Court Orders, Governor Fubara
Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, was also charged by Okocha with persistently breaking the law, allegedly by disobeying court orders.
He referenced the ruling of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, which purportedly overlooked the governor’s decision to award Amaewhule and his company 15 reliefs.
“We are appalled by the Governor’s disregard for the rule of law. In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho awarded fifteen reliefs, but the governor has disregarded them, he claimed.
Okocha also addressed the governor’s strategy over the state budget for 2024, contending that Fubara lacked the legal authority to submit it to what he called a “three-man Assembly.”
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“The state cannot function without an annual budget. But that’s what the governor is doing.
“A budget cannot be presented to a three-member assembly. Citing the crisis in the state legislature, Okocha emphasized that the Appeal Court referred to it as a “forum.”
When the issue is finally resolved, he asked both sides to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision.
“When the time comes, we hope that both parties in the case will have the guts to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling,” Okocha said.
