By Abiola Olawale
A former Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Davies Okanya, has urged the 25 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to honorably resign and cover themselves in glory as part of the individuals who restored peace to the oil-rich state.
Okanya who spoke during an interview session with Arise TV said the lawmakers are no longer eligible to sit in the State House of Assembly following their decisions to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform that gave them the victory.
He urged the lawmakers to uphold honor and integrity by resigning from their positions. He also stressed the need for accountability and transparency in political leadership, asserting that crossing party lines necessitates a forfeiture of power to maintain the integrity of democratic institutions.
He said: “Well, I don’t know why they should call on the president to talk to somebody. You knew you would vacate your seat when you moved from one party to another, and now you decided to move from one party to another party.
“If I were those House of Assembly members, the honorable thing to do is to bow out.
“In fact, they’re not even supposed to be staying in the assembly quarters. If I am the one who decides not to remain in the party that elected me, as I go to the other party, I’ll also drop everything that belongs to my former party.”
The New Diplomat reports that a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had barred the Speaker of the State Assembly and the other 24 lawmakers from parading as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Justice Charles N. Wali gave this order in a case in suit number PHC/1512/CS/2024, filed by Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo, the factional Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon, Sokari Goodboy, and Hon. Orubienimigha Timothy.
The three lawmakers had dragged Amaewhule and the other 24 of his colleagues who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The lawmakers dumped the PDP following the cold war between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and the Minister of Federal Capital of Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
In his ruling, Wali ordered that the Rivers government stop dealing with the said lawmakers as their seats have remained vacant after they defected from the PDP that produced them.
