In a recent development, the All Progressives Congress States Assembly Forum (ASAF) has decided not to immediately admit the 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members into the APC, following their departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
ASAF cited ongoing legal challenges against the former PDP members as the reason for the delay.
The Director General of ASAF, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, expressed gratitude for the lawmakers’ decision to join the APC but insisted that formal recognition within the party would only happen after the resolution of the court case next year. Dagogo emphasized the need for a credible and transparent process in accepting the defectors.
While praising President Bola Tinubu for his efforts to restore harmony in Rivers State, Dagogo urged him to intervene in the conflict. ASAF plans to deliberate on the admission of the 27 lawmakers during its meeting on February 18, 2024, ahead of a planned Geneva retreat in Switzerland.
ASAF also expressed support for the National Chairman of APC, former Kano state Governor Abdullah Umar Ganduje, and the National Working Committee (NWC), attributing the party’s growing popularity and increased membership to their leadership.
The ongoing dispute in Rivers State, marked by contradictory reports and denials, centers around an alleged agreement reached between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, under the guidance of President Tinubu. The agreement aimed to resolve the crisis that led to the defection of 27 state House of Assembly members to the APC.
In response to the defections, the governor’s faction, led by factional Speaker Edison Ehie, declared the seats of the defected lawmakers vacant, invoking section 109 (1) of the Nigerian constitution.
The factional Speaker and his group have officially informed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the vacancies, while the defected lawmakers have challenged this action in court.
