Politics

Rivers APC Set to Verify Alleged Defection of Speaker Martin Amaewhule and Other Lawmakers

Published by admin on January 9th, 2026.

Rivers APC Set to Verify Alleged Defection of Speaker Martin Amaewhule and Other Lawmakers

By The Neighbourhood Newspaper Team

Questions have arisen over the recent claims by some Rivers State House of Assembly members that they have “defected” to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as doubts persist about whether they actually hold valid party membership cards. In response, national APC officials are reportedly taking steps to confirm the lawmakers’ claims.

A senior party source told *The Neighbourhood Newspaper* on Thursday that the verification is necessary because, according to party records, some of the lawmakers have yet to provide evidence of formal registration. “Singing ‘On your mandate we shall stand’ on national TV is commendable, but it is not the same as showing your APC membership card,” the source said. The officials are asking the lawmakers to present their membership cards and confirm the wards in which they registered to resolve the matter quickly.

The source added that even if the legislators participated in the ongoing APC e-registration, they are still required to possess and present their official membership cards, which carry their personal registration data. “If they had received their cards, they would have shown them when announcing their defection live on television. Party membership is only confirmed by ownership of the card,” the source emphasized.

During the announcement, Speaker Martin Amaewhule reportedly stated that APC is now his political home and pledged to ensure that his membership card is issued promptly, suggesting that some of the lawmakers may not yet have received their official documentation. On December 5, 2025, the lawmakers who claimed to have joined APC include Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule (Speaker), Dumle Maol (Deputy Speaker), Major Jack (Majority Leader), Linda Stewart (Deputy Majority Leader), Franklin Nwabochi (Chief Whip), and several others. The House of Assembly was set to resume on January 26, 2026, but the lawmakers reportedly cut short their holidays in preparation for impeachment plans against Governor Fubara.