Two senators and six members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State on Tuesday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The senators are Senator Barinada Mpigi (Rivers South-East) and Senator Allwell Heacho Onyesoh (Rivers East).
Their defections were announced in separate letters read during plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session.
In the letters, the senators attributed their decision to the lingering internal crisis and deepening divisions within the PDP, which they said had made it difficult for them to effectively pursue their legislative responsibilities.
Also, six members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defecting lawmakers are Dumnamene Dekor, Cyril Hart Godwin, Solomon Bob, Victor Obuzor, Blessing Amadi and Felix Uche.
Their separate letters of defection were read on the floor of the House on Tuesday by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen.
The lawmakers attributed their decision to the lingering leadership crisis and deep internal divisions within the PDP, which they said had made it difficult for them to effectively pursue their legislative and political goals.
The development comes barely days after four other Rivers lawmakers also defected to the APC from the PDP and the Labour Party (LP), further depleting opposition ranks in the state.
Those who earlier left the PDP are Boniface Emerengwa (Ikwerre/Emuoha Federal Constituency), Awaji-Inombek Abiante (Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency) and Boma Goodhead (Asari-Toru Federal Constituency), while Manuchim Umezuruike, who represents Port Harcourt I Federal Constituency, defected from the Labour Party.
The lawmakers had cited protracted leadership crises and factionalisation within their former parties as reasons for their exit.
The wave of defections is believed to be linked to the political realignment in Rivers State following the recent defection of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the APC.
With the latest developments, Rivers State is now left with only three lawmakers in the House of Representatives who have not defected to the APC. They are the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, Kelechi Nworgu, and Anderson Allison Igbiks, all of the PDP.
