The South-South Youths Initiatives on Monday advised Rivers lawmakers not to allow party politics define their responsibilities to the people of the state.
Oscar Imaete, president of the group, gave the advice while reacting to 27 lawmakers’ defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmakers who defected to the APC are loyalists of Mr Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while the remaining four lawmakers supported state Gov. Siminalaye Fubara.
Imaete said that “though it is within the constitutional rights of the lawmakers to decide their alliance, the reason for defection may not be addressed even in their new party.’’
According to him, the Rivers APC is currently battling a lingering political crisis in the state.
‘’The party crises in APC in the state could also affect the smooth operations of the lawmakers.
He, however, expressed concern over the current status of the APC in the state.
“Recall, the 27 members who crossed to the APC blamed their action on an unresolved internal party crises in the PDP.
‘’The state has suffered stagnation due to various incidents of political tussle and cannot afford to continue any longer.
“Hence, the need for lawmakers to separate party politics from governance,” Imaete said.
In a related development, the Ogoni Development Drive (ODD) and Coalition of Rivers Civil Society Group have sued for peace in the state.
The group made the remark in a statement signed by Mr Henry Ekene, Rivers Representative, Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, CDHR, and two others.
They urged President Bola Tinubu to caution Wike to give peace a chance and allow Gov. Siminilaye to attend to his responsibilities as governor.
‘’We want peace in the state and not anarchy; Wike’s action may push us to move to Abuja and occupy his office in protest.
‘’This should sound as a warning to him and his lawmakers in the state,’’ they said.
Reacting also, the state Assembly candidate of the APC in 2023 elections, Mr Omuboye Sukubo, said that defection was allowed in politics and the lawmakers had the right to defect.
According to him, it’s not unusual; there is no longer politics by ideology, it’s more of stomach infrastructure and way of survival.
‘’How you get to power and be in control; it is not about governance,’’ he said.
