The Action Peoples Party (APP) has criticized the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in Rivers State, asserting that their repeated issuance of 48-hour ultimatums to Governor Siminalayi Fubara will not alter their current status.
The party emphasized that they remain non-legislators until a court ruling determines the legality of their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tensions in Rivers State escalated on Monday after the 27 lawmakers gave Governor Fubara a 48-hour deadline to re-present the state’s 2025 budget.
However, in a statement issued by its National Chairman, Barr. Uche Nnadi, the APP reiterated its support for the governor’s decision to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict but clarified that this does not extend to reinstating the embattled lawmakers, as their case is still pending at the Court of Appeal.
Nnadi stated:
“I urge the pro-Wike sacked lawmakers to cease issuing endless 48-hour ultimatums, as doing so will not change the fact that they are no longer lawmakers until the decampment case is resolved. While the party supports Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s decision to uphold the Supreme Court’s verdict, this does not include reinstating the sacked lawmakers, whose case remains under review at the Appeal Court.”
Nnadi further clarified that the Supreme Court had not ruled on the legality of the lawmakers’ defection to the APC, as the case remains under judicial review.
“The Supreme Court did not make a ruling on whether the defection of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers to the APC was legal, as the matter is still being heard at the Appeal Court. It is surprising that legitimacy is being claimed by lawmakers whose decampment remains a subject of litigation.”
The ongoing political crisis in Rivers State continues to unfold, with legal and political battles shaping the state’s governance landscape.
