Two Senators, Barinada Mpigi (Rivers South-East) and Heacho Onyesoh (Rivers East), on Tuesday defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this during the plenary.
The Senators, in their letters, said they based their decision on the protracted internal crisis and deepening divisions within the PDP, adding that these had made it difficult for them to effectively pursue their legislative responsibilities.
Also, six House of Representatives members from the state have decamped from the PDP to the APC.
The decamping lawmakers are Dumnamene Dekor, Cyril Hart Godwin, Solomon Bob, Victor Obuzor, Blessing Amadi and Felix Uche.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen read their separate letters of defection on the floor of the House on Tuesday
They said they are leaving the PDP due to the lingering leadership squabbles and deep internal divisions, which they said had prevented them to effectively pursue their legislative and political goals.
The movement comes barely days after four other Rivers lawmakers also camped to the APC from the PDP and the Labour Party (LP).
Those who earlier left the PDP are Boniface Emerengwa (Ikwerre/Emuoha Federal Constituency), Awaji-Inombek Abiante (Andoni/Opobo Federal Constituency) and Boma Goodhead (Asari-Toru Federal Constituency), while Manuchim Umezuruike, who represents Port Harcourt I Federal Constituency, defected from the Labour Party.
According to them, the lingering leadership clashes and factionalisation within their former parties were the reasons for their exit.
The latest defections have now left Rivers State with only three lawmakers in the House of Representatives who have not defected to the APC.
They are the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, Kelechi Nworgu and Anderson Allison Igbiks, all of the PDP.
