Martin Amaewhule,.webp
The Digest:

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, has led a bloc of 15 other lawmakers in defecting from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), citing deep divisions within their former party.

Key Points:
  • Martin Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
  • He was joined by 15 other assembly members, including the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, representing a significant majority bloc.
  • The lawmakers cited "divisions within the PDP" as the reason for their defection.
  • This mass move follows a year of intense crisis, which included the partial demolition of the State Assembly complex and attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
  • The defection marks a historic rupture in the PDP's tight grip on Rivers State politics since 1999.
  • The state has been under a presidential state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu since March, which suspended the governor, deputy, and assembly members.
  • The crisis has been framed as a battle between forces loyal to Governor Fubara and those aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
This mass exodus plants the flag of the APC firmly in the heart of Rivers' legislature, fundamentally altering the political landscape and potentially shifting the balance of power in a state long considered a PDP stronghold. Rooted in the Storm.

Sources: Daily Post Nigeria, Daily Trust