Two Rivers Senators and Six Reps Defect From PDP to APC

The political landscape in Rivers State shifted as two senators and six members of the House of Representatives officially left the PDP for the ruling APC. Senators Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers East) and Barinada Mpigi (Rivers South-East), both formerly loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, cited unresolved internal party disputes as their reason for defecting.

The Senate leadership temporarily suspended its rules to allow APC executives to witness the defection, which increases the ruling party’s presence in the upper chamber to 78 senators, consolidating its majority.

In the House of Representatives, six lawmakers representing constituencies in the oil-rich state, also loyal to Wike, joined the APC. These moves have sparked debate about the health of Nigeria’s democracy, though Senate leaders maintain that a dominant party does not equate to a one-party state. APC officials stressed their commitment to inclusiveness, internal democracy, and collaboration with minority parties to ensure policies deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians, particularly in healthcare and food security.