Pro-Wike Rivers Lawmakers Quietly Retract Court Affidavit on Defection from PDP to APC

In a surprising turn of events, lawmakers loyal to Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, have discreetly withdrawn a court affidavit confirming their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This defection was initially attributed to a political fallout between Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The affidavit, filed by Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 other legislators, had been presented to the Federal High Court in Abuja. In it, Amaewhule affirmed that they felt “compelled” to leave the PDP on December 5, 2023, citing “uncertainty and confusion” within the party. This affidavit had served as the foundation for court orders that enabled them to retain their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly after switching allegiance to the APC. However, sources have confirmed that on Wednesday, the lawmakers returned to the court and discreetly withdrew parts of this affidavit.

After publicly announcing their defection, the legislators were officially received by APC officials, solidifying their association with their new party. A judiciary insider disclosed, “The lawmakers, who are allies of Wike, have now quietly retracted the affidavit that originally confirmed their defection to APC. This affidavit previously allowed them to secure court orders protecting their positions.”

In the legal dispute, the lawmakers named six defendants: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Assembly Clerk, the Inspector General of Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS). The lawmakers had initially sworn in Paragraph 14 of the affidavit that the PDP’s internal divisions left them with no choice but to join the APC.

The affidavit also highlighted the PDP’s threats against the defectors, which reportedly included pressure from various political groups urging INEC to declare their seats vacant. The lawmakers invoked a similar case in Edo State, where PDP sought to declare vacant the seats of defected lawmakers, which the court resolved by maintaining the status quo.

Backed by this affidavit, Hon. Justice Donatus Okorowo had previously issued an order restraining INEC and the Rivers Assembly from declaring the seats of the defecting lawmakers vacant or conducting fresh elections to replace them. The court order further safeguarded the legislative rights and privileges of the lawmakers, barring any interference from INEC and the Rivers Assembly until the hearing of the motion on notice.

This recent withdrawal of the affidavit could alter the course of the case, leaving the fate of these lawmakers in a precarious position as they continue to navigate the political turbulence between Rivers State’s PDP and APC factions.