The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Kabiru Turaki, has intensified efforts to recover the seats of Rivers State lawmakers who again announced their defection from the party, saying it will activate constitutional measures to reclaim the mandates the legislators “abandoned.”
In a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP condemned the lawmakers’ repeated defections as a deliberate affront to the legislature and a violation of the 1999 Constitution. The party noted that the lawmakers previously defected, reversed themselves, and have now re-announced their departure—an action it described as “politically choreographed.”
According to the PDP, the lawmakers have consistently acted as “political puppets” and a hindrance to democratic progress since assuming office, insisting their actions will place them on record as “enemies of democracy” who brought mockery to the state legislature.
The party argued that the latest declaration was effectively a “defection from the APC to the APC,” accusing the lawmakers of disconnecting from the PDP’s values long before this announcement despite holding the party’s ticket.
Ememobong stated that the PDP will now pursue legal avenues to enforce constitutional sanctions that apply when elected officials abandon the party under which they secured office. He said the party is prepared to invoke the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to recover the mandates obtained on the PDP platform.
Despite the political tension in Rivers State, the PDP maintained that the controversy will not derail its internal reforms ahead of future elections. The party appealed for calm among its supporters, urging members to remain committed as efforts continue to rebuild the party on principles of inclusiveness, fairness, and equity.
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