The Rivers State House of Assembly has rescinded its earlier decision to declare the seats of three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara vacant, paving the way for their return to the legislature.
The affected lawmakers are Victor Oko-Jumbo, Sokari Goodboy Sokari and Orubienimigha Timothy.
The decision followed the consideration of letters dated October 16, 2026, in which the three lawmakers appealed to the Assembly to reconsider its earlier resolution and allow them to resume their legislative duties.
The letters were read by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, during plenary on Tuesday. In their separate appeals, the lawmakers explained that they had not seen the correspondence communicating the lifting of their suspension, which they said accounted for their failure to attend subsequent sittings.
They consequently urged their colleagues to rescind the decision declaring their seats vacant.
Following deliberations on the letters, members of the House voted in favour of reversing the earlier decision, restoring the three lawmakers to the Assembly.
The Speaker addressed members shortly after the vote.
The development follows a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, which had strained relations between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
On October 30, 2023, the Assembly suspended the three lawmakers over alleged misconduct at the height of the political turmoil.
Their suspension was lifted on December 20, 2023, following an initial peace meeting initiated by President Bola Tinubu to resolve the political dispute between Wike and Fubara.
However, the lawmakers subsequently failed to attend legislative sittings, prompting the Assembly to declare their seats vacant on October 15, 2025.
The House cited Section 109(1)(e) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as the basis for its decision. It also wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), requesting a by-election to fill the seats.
The latest resolution effectively reverses the Assembly’s earlier position on the affected lawmakers, following their explanation that they were unaware their suspensions had been lifted.
Their reinstatement marks another development in the political tensions that have shaped Rivers State’s legislature and executive relations since 2023.
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