Chief Emeka Beke, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Rivers State, has slammed 27 state lawmakers for denying their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Beke, a close ally of ex-Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, insisted that the lawmakers, led by Martin Amaewhule, had openly joined the APC and could not now deny it.
Beke made these comments during a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Saturday, addressing Amaewhule’s recent claim that he and his colleagues remained PDP members.
The lawmakers, aligned with former Governor Nyesom Wike, had earlier defected to the APC amidst a political crisis involving Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and current Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Pro-Fubara lawmakers filed a lawsuit to have their seats declared vacant, and the Action Peoples Party (APP) also initiated legal action. However, on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu dismissed the APP’s suit, declaring it statute-barred.
Following this ruling, the pro-Wike lawmakers denied their defection to the APC, prompting Beke to call their denial “shameful.”
He stated, “I want to put it on record that those 27 members of the House of Assembly are still members of the APC. The law is clear on defection. They cannot run away from the truth because we all know and saw it when they defected to our party.”
Beke emphasised that their defection was publicly celebrated, recalling a reception ceremony hosted by Tony Okocha, who then claimed to be the CTC Chairman of Rivers State APC. “They cannot sheepishly make a U-turn and yet be celebrated by the same Tony Okocha whom they are now denying. What a shame,” he added.
Beke stated that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against the pro-Wike lawmakers after the local government elections set for October 5, 2024. He also noted that the party was fully prepared to contest in the upcoming elections.
“In our last meeting, we sent out invitations for them (the pro-Wike lawmakers) to attend, but they did not. Right now, we are focused on local government elections, and after that, we will take necessary actions concerning them,” he stated.
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