The 27 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that chose to defect to the All Progressives Party (APC), have been advised to respectfully hang their gloves as members of the assembly, and pursue their new love in APC as ordinary members of the party.

Advises 27 Rivers Lawmakers To Resign
The 27 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that chose to defect to the All Progressives Party (APC), have been advised to respectfully hang their gloves as members of the assembly, and pursue their new love in APC as ordinary members of the party.

Member representing Idemili North and South Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Uche Harris Okonkwo, who made the call in a brief chat with newsmen, stated, “the poor script emanating from the defected former Rivers State Assembly members” is a grievous new level of assault on the integrity of the nation’s democracy and operational sanctity of its constitution.

His words: “Let’s be clear about this. I am neither a member of the PDP nor APC, so, I can’t be beneficiary or loser in this dog fight for supremacy in Rivers State. But as a lawmaker just as they were before defection, I feel personally scandalised that the solemn institution of the legislature is being so defaced and abused in a manner close to the gutter of impunity.

“The intent of the law is always clear from the letters of it, and never endorsed that less than a year of swearing an oath to defend the constitution as members of the hallowed legislature of your state, you can carry the trophy of the party that gave you their ticket to donate to another party arbitrarily and selfishly without consequences.

“Honour should have supremacy over bravado, and politicians should stop increasing the poverty of honour in the corridors of politics and leadership if we truly wish this country well.

Therefore, my simple reading of it is that, if those legislators suddenly became so lovestruck by APC attraction, so be it, but certainly not with what belonged to another. That victory was for PDP, not APC, and it’s amazing how so much drama is being invested to polish a bad conduct that ordinarily should be scorned.”

Okonkwo further lambasted elected representatives in other states defecting to other parties, saying: “Just the other day too, I heard about five Labour Party legislators stealthily defected to PDP, as part of a desperate trade off to donate majority house to the governor and his party, PDP. That is how easy bad conduct spreads.

“Leaders should be careful before citizens are fed up, because the excessive executive manipulation of situations, which most times, lacks no art or sense, is a tragic slur in our current longest democratic experience that has enjoyed 25 unbroken reign.

“That’s a real dark alley in our body politics, which we should all unite by conversion or practice, to clean, rinse and shine. If we ever hope to earn and appreciate what we profess and aspire to, respect to our constitution and obedience to the rule of law is not just non-negotiable, but also critical and essential wisdom.”