Rivers Speaker Amaewhule, 15 Lawmakers Dump PDP for APC

Sixteen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The announcement was made during Friday’s plenary, with Amaewhule citing internal fractures within the PDP as the reason for the move.

The Speaker said he had already notified his ward chairman of the decision, confirming APC as his new political home. Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol and other lawmakers aligned with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, also joined the ruling party.

Their defection follows the recent expulsion of Wike and some others from the PDP over alleged anti-party activities. The group had previously hinted at switching parties during an earlier political crisis in the state but later retracted the claim.

The latest development deepens the ongoing political realignments in Rivers State.