In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Rivers State House of Assembly member, Enemi Alabo, provided insights into the factors that led 27 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Alabo underscored internal divisions within the PDP as a primary catalyst for the mass defection, shedding light on the challenges faced by the party in Rivers State.
Highlighting the internal strife within the PDP, Alabo pointed to legal disputes concerning the secretaryship of the party, creating a divisive atmosphere among party members.
The inability to establish communication with the party’s secretariat further exacerbated the situation, with Alabo expressing frustration over the lack of clarity regarding the party’s leadership.
“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,” Alabo stated during the interview, emphasizing the severity of the internal challenges faced by the Rivers State PDP.
The lawmaker underscored the impact of these challenges on the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, detailing instances of intimidation, repression, and the burning of the assembly chambers.
Alabo recounted the brutal attack on the official residence of the Speaker, orchestrated by hired thugs, painting a grim picture of the environment in which the lawmakers operated.
As Alabo delved into the tumultuous events, he lamented the lack of communication from the national level of the PDP.
The absence of guidance and support from the party’s leadership intensified the lawmakers’ sense of disillusionment, prompting a collective decision to seek a new political home.
“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,” Alabo asserted.
Alabo elaborated on the lawmakers’ decision to defect, referencing Section 109 of the constitution, which permits a party switch in the presence of a perceived division.
The reliance on constitutional provisions underscores the lawmakers’ conviction that their move to the APC is a response to the challenges and divisions within the PDP.
As the political landscape in Rivers State undergoes a significant transformation, Alabo’s revelations provide a nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics that fueled the mass defection and the intricate challenges faced by the PDP within the state.
