Breaking: Fresh Storm Hits PDP as Six Rivers Reps Defect to APC
- Six lawmakers from Rivers state defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
- The defections followed the recent exit of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and 15 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the PDP
- The development significantly strengthened the APC’s political grip in Rivers, one of Nigeria’s most strategic states
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered another major setback in Rivers State following the defection of six of its members in the House of Representatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Source: Facebook
The lawmakers who dumped the PDP are Dumnamene Dekor (Khana/Gokana), Solomon Bob (Abua/Odual and Ahoada East), Hart Cyril (Degema/Bonny), Victor Obuzor (Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni), Blessing Amadi (Port Harcourt II) and Felix Nweke (Eleme/Oyigbo/Tai).
The letters of their defection were read at plenary on Tuesday, December 23, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.
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The latest wave of defections comes weeks after Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, formally left the PDP for the APC on December 5, 2025, in a move that reshaped the state’s political landscape.
Before the governor’s exit, the PDP had already lost significant ground in the state legislature, as 15 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martin Amaewhule, defected to the APC.
The mass defection of federal and state lawmakers is widely seen as a deepening crisis for the PDP in Rivers State, further strengthening the APC’s foothold in one of Nigeria’s most politically strategic states.
Governor Fubara resigns from PDP to APC
Legit.ng earlier reported that governor of Rivers state, Siminalayi Fubara, has finally departed the PDP for the ruling party, the APC.
The announcement follows months of political tension in the state and marks a significant realignment within Rivers' politics.
Source: Original
Fubara’s move is expected to trigger reactions from political actors within and outside the state, as the change alters existing alliances ahead of the 2027 elections in Nigeria.
4 Rivers reps resign from PDP, LP
In an earlier story, Legit.ng reported that three loyalists of Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and a member of the LP, have announced their defection from the ruling APC, citing the prolonged crisis in the PDP.
The members who defected from the PDP to the APC are Boniface Emerengwa, Boma Goodhead, and Awaji Nombet Abiante from the PDP.
The letters of defection of the four lawmakers were read at plenary on Thursday, December 18, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.
Rivers speaker, 15 assembly members defect to APC
Legit.ng also reported that the speaker of the Rivers state house of assembly, Martin Amaewhule, has defected from the PDP to the APC, along with 15 other lawmakers
Speaking on Friday, December 5, Amaewhule stated that they left the PDP due to what he called a deepening internal crisis.
The defection is expected to intensify political tension in the oil-rich state, which has been struggling with factional disputes.
Source: Legit.ng
