The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He made the statement in Abuja on Friday while reacting to the defection of 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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On Friday, 16 lawmakers, including the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, announced during plenary that they had left the PDP for the APC. Amaewhule said he moved because the PDP was divided, and he wanted to support President Bola Tinubu, whom he believes has good plans for the country.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting road projects in Abuja, Wike said the lawmakers did not inform him before defecting, but they had the right to make their own decisions. He added that not all members left.
“I am still in the PDP. Not everyone has left. I believe 16 or 17 left out of 27. We still have about 10 members, and we will continue to work with them,” he said.
Wike described the situation as unfortunate but noted that people have the right to choose where they want to belong. He blamed the defections on the internal crisis in the PDP, explaining that the party’s constitution allows members to leave if the party becomes divided.
He said he had earlier advised the PDP leadership to resolve the crisis, warning that failure to do so would hurt the party.
Wike added that efforts are now ongoing to ensure the remaining PDP members work together and remain a strong opposition.