The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the leadership of Chief Tony Okocha, has strongly rejected claims that the 27 embattled lawmakers from the Rivers State House of Assembly recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join its ranks.
Okocha clarified that the event held in December 2023 at the Port Harcourt Polo Club was not a reception for the 27 lawmakers, as some reports had suggested. Rather, the gathering was organized to celebrate the constitution of the state’s executive council by the APC’s national body.
The confusion stemmed from remarks made by the embattled Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, who, at the Polo Club event, claimed that he and 26 of his colleagues had completed the process of defection, citing internal divisions within the PDP as a driving factor.
However, Okocha, addressing the media in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, denied the defection claims, asserting that no formal reception or membership intake of the 27 lawmakers had occurred.
“The event was not intended to welcome the lawmakers into the APC,” Okocha said. “I personally invited them as friends to join in the celebration of our party’s new executive. There was no plan to receive them as defectors.”
Okocha emphasized that the invitation was extended individually and not as a group of Assembly members, pointing out his longstanding relationship with the lawmakers. While he expressed hope to bring them into the party, he clarified that their attendance at the event did not signify a formal defection to the APC.
Furthermore, Okocha criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his alleged disregard for the rule of law, citing the governor’s refusal to comply with court orders. “The era of strongman rule is over. The law now holds sway,” Okocha remarked. “It is unacceptable for a High Court to overrule a decision from a superior Court of Appeal. This is a distortion of justice.”
He also called out the governor’s failure to adhere to a court judgment that allowed the re-presentation of the 2024 budget before the Amaewhule-led Assembly. According to Okocha, the governor’s actions were a direct affront to the law, stating, “You cannot operate a state without an annual budget, yet the governor continues to do so. It is illegal to present a budget before a three-man assembly, which the Appeal Court has referred to as a ‘forum.’”
Despite these challenges, Okocha urged calm and expressed optimism that when the Supreme Court ultimately rules on the matter, all parties would respect the verdict. “We remain hopeful that the final judgment will bring clarity and that everyone involved will adhere to the rule of law,” he concluded.
