In a dramatic political move, 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including the factional speaker, have defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They attribute their exit to divisions within the PDP’s national leadership.
This mass defection follows weeks of power struggles, notably a speakership rivalry between Matthew Amaewhule and Edison Ehie.
The feud escalated with an impeachment notice to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, resulting in shifts in leadership positions within the Assembly.
The crisis stems from a strained relationship between Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Allegations of Wike’s involvement in Fubara’s impeachment surfaced, despite both being PDP members.
In an expected move, different people have taken to their X( formerly Twitter) platforms to express their opinions, debating the motives behind this move and its broader implications for Rivers State politics
@A__yabo tweeted,
“The FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, betrayed Atiku Abubakar for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Now his boy, Sim Fubara, is betraying him and making him lose his influence in Rivers State. Kwankwaso betrayed Atiku to make his in-law the governor of Kano State; now both the tribunal and court of appeal have declared Gawuna the winner. Peter Obi betrayed Atiku to contest for president; he finished third and lost the little influence he has in SE&SS. The moral of the story is: Never betray your good boss for your personal gains.”
@Egi_nupe_ argued,
“The APC guys attacking Governor Sim Fubara aren’t even making any logical arguments to justify their attacks. What would you rather have the governor do? To allow the Minister to take control of his state? A man who could betray his own party and shamelessly dance around and be in bed with the opposition party, even taking up a ministerial political position without leaving the party and consistently talking down on the same party? I thought we all agreed that governors are the political leaders of their states, and nobody should be allowed to be a godfather over them. So why are you now trying to paint Fubara bad by all means? When’s he not the problem?”
@Morris_Monye expressed scepticism:
“I don’t think Fubara will last more than 4 months in that seat. I try to see Rivers in the next 4 months, and I don’t see him in that seat.”
@Sholabaggio questioned the shifting dynamics, stating,
“When Wike bought form for Fubara, he’s not a godfather then. When Wike chose Fubara against all odds, He’s not a godfather then. But when Fubara sn!tched within 6 months, trying to quench Wike’s legacy. Suddenly, Wike is a godfather! Wike must nack disloyalty with a sledgehammer.”
@AKakanfo emphasised the importance of loyalty, saying,
“Loyalty is extremely important in politics… To get to the top, you need mentors, helpers, financiers, and godfathers. Politics is not morality; it is interests.”
@ruffydfire speculated,
“So Fubara thinks Pres. Tinubu will help him, then Wike sees the plot and takes position in the APC by telling lawmakers loyal to him to defect to APC… In the coming days, grab your popcorn.”
@seolowu120 anticipated a challenging but potentially victorious path for Fubara, stating,
“It’s going to be long… The people will turn to show some solidarity with the sitting Governor, and that maybe the game over for the emperor, ‘WIKE’.”
@prightsproject questioned the legitimacy of the lawmakers’ seats, saying,
“Why are the 27 lawmakers’ seats not declared vacant?… Fubara should immediately get a court to have them removed.”
@SayDonaldSlowly highlighted the potential impact of Fubara’s success on the PDP, suggesting,
“If Sim Fubara wins this contest at the end of the day, it is going to be good for the PDP… All PDP governors, senators, House of Representatives, and leaders should be giving Sim all the support and backing needed.”
@AntiXenophobian emphasised the rights of all Rivers residents to governance, noting,
“People who say Fubara is ungrateful have erroneously assumed that Rivers state originally belongs to Nyesom Wike… Any Rivers son or daughter has a right to be Governor in Rivers and should be allowed to govern!”
@OloruntoGabrel echoed sentiments about loyalty in politics, expressing disappointment:
“Loyalty is extremely important in politics… Wike moved mountains and put his life in the line for Fubara to become the governor of Rivers only for Fubara to pay back with disloyalty.”
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