A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Monday, declared that the 27 members of Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), remain members of the PDP.
The lawmakers who are loyalists of immediate past Governor, Nyesom Wike led by the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, had, in December 2023, declared their defection from the PDP to the APC in the heat of a political crisis that rocked the state.
The legislators had however, said their defection was as a result of division within the PDP.
While delivering judgement on a suit filed by Wosa Amadi and three others seeking to declare the lawmakers’ seats vacant, Justice Okogbule Gbasam held that Amaewhule and the 26 other lawmakers are still members of the PDP.
Gbasam also ruled that the claimants had failed to prove to the court that the lawmakers truly defected to the APC, noting that the said defection cannot be established through newspaper publications, radio announcements or online publications.
The court also held that said a defection can only be established through the party membership register, a membership card and such members fulfilling all requirements of their membership in the party.
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