26th February 2025
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Chief Tony Okocha, has denied claims that 27 lawmakers from the state House of Assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Okocha clarified that the December 2023 event at the Port Harcourt Polo Club, attended by the lawmakers, was not a reception for their defection but a celebration of the APC’s new state executive council. He stated that while the lawmakers were invited as friends, they were not officially received into the party.
He emphasized that social media claims about the lawmakers joining the APC were misleading, adding that legal procedures must be followed for a valid defection.
Okocha also accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of disregarding court rulings, particularly the judgment requiring him to re-present the 2024 budget before the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly. He urged all parties to remain calm and abide by the final ruling of the Supreme Court.
