Rivers Assembly Reverses Decision to Vacate Seats of Three Fubara-Loyal Lawmakers

The Rivers State House of Assembly has reversed its earlier decision to declare the seats of three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara vacant, following renewed efforts to resolve the state’s prolonged political crisis.

The decision was taken during plenary on Monday after the House considered a letter from the affected lawmakers, who said they never received the correspondence directing them to resume legislative duties following the President’s intervention in the political dispute.

The lawmakers are Victor Oko-Jumbo, representing Bonny; Adolphus Timothy Oruibienimigha, representing Opobo/Nkoro; and Sokari Goodboy Sokari, representing Ahoada West.

During the sitting, the trio tendered an apology to the House, which was accepted. The Assembly subsequently directed them to resume their legislative responsibilities, reversing its previous move to declare their seats vacant.

The development comes amid renewed reconciliation efforts involving key political stakeholders in Rivers State. On Sunday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, led members of the Rainbow Coalition to visit Governor Fubara at his private residence in Port Harcourt as part of ongoing engagements aimed at addressing the political differences in the state.

The three lawmakers were suspended on October 30, 2023, the same day the Assembly made its first attempt to impeach Fubara. Their prolonged absence from legislative sittings had kept them away from the House for nearly three years.

Their reinstatement comes as questions persist over the scope and fairness of the reconciliation process led by Wike. Some observers have criticised the process as one-sided, arguing that it did not initially provide for the lawmakers’ return to the Assembly.

Despite the latest decision, the political future of the three lawmakers remains uncertain. They were reportedly screened out of the APC primary election process and are therefore not expected to return to the Assembly after the current tenure ends.

The Assembly’s reversal marks another development in Rivers State’s protracted political crisis, which has involved competing political interests and disagreements between Fubara and political figures associated with Wike. Whether the latest move will contribute to lasting peace in the state remains to be seen.