The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Emeka Beke, has criticized 27 embattled lawmakers of the State House of Assembly for denying their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Beke, a close ally of former Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, called their denial shameful and emphasized that the lawmakers openly defected to the APC.
Speaking at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Beke reacted to the recent claims by Martin Amaewhule, who stated that he and his colleagues remained members of the PDP. However, Beke maintained that the 27 lawmakers had clearly defected, citing public events where they were welcomed into the APC.
“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 stated.
He further recalled that the lawmakers were received by Tony Okocha, who claimed to be the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Rivers APC, at a reception held at the Port Harcourt Polo Club.
“It is very obvious, evident, and on record that in several fora, Martin Amaewhule and 26 others publicly defected from the PDP to the APC,” he added.
Beke also expressed disappointment in the lawmakers’ denial and indicated that disciplinary actions would be taken after the October 5, 2024, local government elections, in which the APC plans to participate fully.
“In our last meeting, we sent out invitations for them (pro-Wike lawmakers) to attend, but they did not. Right now, we are talking about local elections, and after the local government elections, we will take necessary actions concerning them,” he said.
Beke affirmed that the APC would contest the upcoming local elections, noting that all its candidates had been screened and cleared by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
“As the duly elected Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, I want to put it on record that first, the APC will take part in the forthcoming local government elections on 5th October. We are fielding candidates for the various positions in all the 23 LGAs,” Beke declared.
He also warned Tony Okocha, the former Caretaker Committee Chairman, against making decisions on behalf of the APC, stating that he had instructed his lawyers to secure an arrest warrant if Okocha continued to act without authority.
In a positive note, Beke commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for allowing a fair electoral process for all parties in the state.
“I can tell you clearly that in the history of politics in Rivers State, this is the first time we are seeing a Governor who is ready to give a level playing ground for all parties in an election,” he noted.