The Rivers State House of Assembly has reversed its earlier decision declaring the seats of three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara vacant.
The Assembly took the decision a day after FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, led lawmakers and the state’s 23 local government chairpersons to a reconciliation meeting with the governor in Port Harcourt.
|
|
The lawmakers are Timothy Oruibienimigha, representing Opobo/Nkoro Constituency; Victor Jumbo, representing Bonny Constituency; and Sokari Goodboy Sokari, representing Ahoada West Constituency.
The decision was “taken on Monday during the 68th legislative sitting of the fourth session of the 10th Assembly, following separate letters of appeal submitted by the three lawmakers to the Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule.”
|
|
|
|---|
Martins Wachukwu, a media aide to the speaker, announced the development in a statement posted on Facebook on Monday.
According to the statement, the lawmakers apologised to the House for failing to resume legislative duties after their suspension was lifted in December 2023.
They attributed their continued absence to their alleged failure to receive official correspondence informing them that the suspension had been lifted following a presidential intervention, the statement said.
Stay Ahead with Premium Times
Follow us on Google News and never miss breaking stories, investigations, and in-depth reporting.
Add as a preferred source on Google
The lawmakers were among four members suspended on 30 October 2023 amid the political crisis that divided the assembly into factions loyal to Mr Wike and Mr Fubara.
The statement said in Monday’s plenary, lawmakers debated the appeals and supported the request to rescind the earlier resolution declaring the seats vacant.
Mr Amaewhule said, “Investigations indicated that the three lawmakers might not have received the correspondence notifying them of the lifting of their suspension,” the statement added.
The lawmakers subsequently voted in favour of reversing the declaration, allowing their colleagues to return to the Assembly, according to the statement.
The latest decision comes amid renewed efforts to reconcile Mr Wike and Mr Fubara after more than three years of political hostilities that have repeatedly disrupted governance in Rivers State.
Background
The political crisis in Rivers State began in 2023, months after Governor Fubara succeeded Mr Wike as governor. The disagreement between the former allies escalated into a struggle for control of the state’s political structures, including the House of Assembly.
In October 2023, amid an impeachment attempt against Mr Fubara by lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike, the Assembly split into two factions. An overwhelming majority of 27 lawmakers backed Mr Wike, while four supported the governor.
Edison Ehie, who led the four-member faction loyal to Mr Fubara, obtained a court order allowing the group to continue legislative proceedings and subsequently emerged as speaker of the factional Assembly.
Mr Ehie resigned as speaker and as a member of the Assembly following a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in December 2023. Mr Fubara later appointed him chief of staff.
In May 2024, Mr Jumbo emerged as speaker of the pro-Fubara faction after Mr Ehie’s departure. The faction continued to hold sittings and pass legislation, including considering budget proposals and screening commissioner nominees, while the Amaewhule-led faction also conducted legislative business.
The legal battle over the Assembly’s leadership later shifted in favour of the Wike-backed lawmakers. In July 2024, the Court of Appeal reinstated the 27 lawmakers and recognised Martin Amaewhule as speaker. The Supreme Court subsequently ruled in February 2025 in favour of the Amaewhule-led Assembly, restoring the lawmakers’ status as legitimate members of the legislature. The ruling also affected the legal standing of decisions taken by the rival faction.
In October 2024, the Amaewhule-led Assembly declared the seats of the three lawmakers now seeking reinstatement vacant, citing their continued absence from legislative sittings. The House said it had notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections to fill the vacancies.
Tinubu declares state of emergency
The crisis escalated in March 2025 when Mr Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Mr Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state Assembly for six months. The president appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator of the state.
Mr Tinubu cited the breakdown of governance, the prolonged dispute between the executive and legislature, and security concerns in announcing the measure.
The emergency rule ended in September 2025, allowing Mr Fubara and the other suspended elected officials to return to their positions.
However, the political truce did not permanently resolve the dispute. Renewed reconciliation efforts followed, including further interventions by Mr Tinubu. In February 2026, the Assembly withdrew its impeachment move against the governor and his deputy amid fresh efforts to ease tensions.
The latest meeting between Mr Wike, the lawmakers, the 23 local government chairpersons and Mr Fubara, followed by Monday’s reversal of the decision declaring the three lawmakers’ seats vacant, could signal progress in the latest reconciliation effort.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
More News
