Hon. Martins Amaewhule
By Emeka UgochukwuÂ
The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule and 15 other lawmakers from the Rivers State House of Assembly have decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the second time in two years.
In December 2023, at least 25 lawmakers of the assembly, who are loyal to the immediate past governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, who has since become the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), defected from the PDP to APC.
But the decision was legally challenged on the ground that there was no division in the PDP, as constitutionally required to make elected lawmakers not lose their seats in the parliament.
At that time, rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said that lawmakers cannot decamp and remain members of the legislative house.
He argued that the decamped lawmakers would have to show that there is division in their previous party — PDP.
He said; ‘In the case of Adetunde and the Labour Party, the supreme court made it clear that you cannot decamp and then remain a member of a legislative house in Nigeria unless you can show that there is division in your party. Today, the PDP is one’.
During plenary on Friday, Amaewhule, on behalf of himself and 15 other members of the House, announced the lawmakers’ decision, citing what he described as a ‘clear division’ within the PDP as the reason for their defection.
For two years since Siminalayi Fubara succeed Wike as the state governor, the executive and legislative arms of government were at loggerheads despite being elected on the platform of the same party, the PDP.
The rift divided both sides into the Fubara and Wike camps with the latter controlling the House.
In October 2023, Hon. Ehie Edison was elected speaker of the factional assembly after his removal as House Leader, amid the plot to impeach Fubara.
Edison later resigned as lawmaker to become Chief of Staff to the governor.
The lawmakers who are loyal to Wike are led by Amaewhule, who eventually became the authentic Speaker.
The crisis degenerated and President Bola Tinubu had to impose a six-month emergency rule on the state, at the conclusion of which all factions were collapsed into one.
