Sixteen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), deepening the political shifts unfolding in the state.

The announcement came during Friday’s plenary session, where Speaker Amaewhule said the move was driven by what he described as a “clear division” within the PDP. According to him, the internal crisis made it necessary for him and his colleagues to seek a new political direction.

“Distinguished colleagues, very happily, let me announce that your Speaker has decided, and has indeed written to my ward chairman, of my decision to leave the PDP. APC is my new party,” Amaewhule declared.

Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol was among the 16 lawmakers who followed him into the APC. All the defecting legislators are known loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.

Wike was recently expelled from the PDP by the party’s leadership over alleged anti-party activities. It is notable that these same lawmakers had earlier announced a defection to the APC during the peak of the state’s political crisis, but later denied making such a move.

The latest development confirms their final shift and further highlights the ongoing realignments within the state’s political landscape.