By Lawrence Olaoye with agency reports
River state governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has consolidated his hold on the state when 25 members of the state House of Assembly hitherto in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) joined him in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers officially declared their defection to the APC during a session in the Assembly and House Leader, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said they had ceased to be members of the PDP.
Lloyd also added that further correspondence to them should bear the APC.
While speaking during the session, Lloyd said: “The 25 pro-Amaechi lawmakers have asked me to declare our formal defection to All Progressives Congress (APC). Henceforth, 25 of us should be referred to as All Progressives Congress members. We are telling the world today that we are all members of APC.”
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, while responding to the defection of the lawmakers, told his colleagues to document their decision.
Commenting on the official defection of the 25 lawmakers to the APC, Chief of Staff to the governor, Hon. Tony Okocha, said that the moves by some forces operating from Abuja to use six members of the Assembly to impeach Amaechi will not succeed.
