Rivers: Legal Practitioners, Others Support Wike On Legal Action Against Defectors

Legal practitioners and residents, in Port Harcourt, have backed governor of Rivers state, Chief Nyesom Wike, in his call for legal action against governors who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking in an interview, a legal practitioner, Barrister Prince Dubon, said that a party could take legal action against any member who defects to another party.

He however said by the country’s constitution, every person has right to associate and to leave one political party for another.

He said by party’s constitution, any interested party could take legal action against member of political party who defects to another party.

According to him, politicians leave their party for another party because of interest saying that it could be for selfish interest.

The legal practitioner said: “By the constitution of the party they don’t have any power to leave for another party, pointing out that he agreed with the governor who had said legal action should be taken against governor of Cross River and Ebonyi States Prof. Ben Ayade and Dave Umahi respectively, for defecting from the party to the ruling all progressives congress.

Dubon said: “I uphold the argument of His Excellency Chief Nyesom Wike that legal action should be instituted against the governor of Ebonyi State and also his counterpart in Cross River”.


Also speaking, another lawyer, Ukandu Osi, also said that he agreed with the governor that legal action be taking against those who left the party for another party, saying that legal action could be taken against those who defect to another party.

He said those in elective positions should be encouraged to complete their tenure under platform of the party they were elected.

The government had urged that legal action should be taken against governors of Ebonyi and Cross Rivers States for leaving the party without any good reason.

Governor Wike said: “I have encouraged the People’s Democratic party that it must file a suit against the two governors for defecting to the All Progressives Congress without any reason proffered as provided in the constitution or any other enabling law. Let it be on record that party had been able to challenge this and let us await the outcome of the decision of the court because the court have a role to strengthen our democracy”.