By Ado Oyeyemi
The Rivers State House of Assembly has reversed its decision to declare the seats of three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara vacant following their letters of apology to the legislature.
The decision was taken during plenary on Monday, with the lawmakers allowed to return to their legislative duties after the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, and other members accepted their appeals.
The affected lawmakers are Victor Oko-Jumbo, representing Bonny Constituency; Sokari Goodboy Sokari, representing Ahoada West Constituency; and Orubienimigha Timothy, representing Opobo/Nkoro Constituency.
The Speaker’s media aide, Martins Wachukwu, disclosed the development in a statement titled, “Rivers Assembly Rescinds Decision on 3 Vacant Seats.”
According to the statement, the lawmakers appealed to the Speaker, expressing remorse over their prolonged absence from legislative sittings and seeking the reconsideration of the decision against them.
Their appeals, read during plenary, reportedly attributed their failure to resume duties to their alleged non-receipt of official communication notifying them that their earlier suspension had been lifted.
The lawmakers were among four members suspended on October 30, 2023, amid the political crisis that rocked the state. The suspension was lifted on December 20, 2023, following presidential intervention.
However, the three lawmakers allegedly failed to return to the Assembly, prompting the legislature to declare their seats vacant on October 15, 2024, and notify the Independent National Electoral Commission of the decision to conduct fresh elections.
During Monday’s sitting, members deliberated on the appeals and supported the move to reverse the earlier decision.
Amaewhule said investigations indicated that the lawmakers might not have received the correspondence informing them of the lifting of their suspension, as claimed in their letters.
He maintained that the legislature’s decisions must be guided by justice and the law rather than emotions or the status of individuals involved.
Following a vote in favour of their appeals, the Speaker directed the lawmakers to resume sitting and rejoin their colleagues in representing their constituencies.
The Assembly had earlier cited Sections 109(1)(e) and (f), and 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as the legal basis for declaring the seats vacant over the lawmakers’ continued absence from legislative proceedings.
The latest development comes amid renewed efforts to ease political tensions between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, whose rivalry has fuelled a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State.
On Sunday, Wike led members of the state Assembly and the 23 local government chairmen to a closed-door meeting with Fubara at the governor’s private residence.
The meeting, which reportedly began around 4.30 pm, was said to have involved the reconciliation committee led by Senator Magnus Abe and members of the Rainbow Coalition.
Sources said the discussions were aimed at resolving lingering disagreements between the two political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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Wike was recently appointed coordinator of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign council in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory.
