Lawmaker explains why 27 Rivers Assembly members dumped PDP

Enemi Alabo, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has offered an explanation on the reaaon behind the recent defection of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the house to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alabo, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, cited internal divisions within the PDP as the primary reason for the defection.

“We have a division in the PDP. We have cases in court concerning the secretaryship of our party. We desperately tried to reach the secretariat of our party, and we could not. As I speak to you, I can’t tell you who the secretary of my party is,” the lawmaker said.

“If I can’t even have correspondence with my party, then what am I talking about? We’ve been in the eye of the storm for a few weeks now and since then, there has been no communication from my party at the national level. What kind of party is that?, he queried.

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Alabo further pointed at the ongoing legal disputes related to the party’s secretaryship, expressing frustration over his inability to establish communication with the party’s secretariat.

According to Alabo, the lack of clarity regarding the party’s leadership further highlighted the challenges faced by Rivers State PDP members including the burning of the assembly chambers and the intimidation.

“Rivers State has been in the news. The House of Assembly has been grappling [with issues]; we’ve been bullied; we’ve been suppressed and repressed.

“Our chambers were burned down, and our members are being intimidated. The official residence of Mr. Speaker was brutally attacked by hired thugs.

“As I speak, there is no communication from the party that I called my party. And so, 27 members came together and we said to ourselves that we could not continue like this.”

⁰Alabo explained that the lawmakers collectively decided to defect, citing Section 109 of the constitution, which allows for a party switch in the presence of a perceived division.

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