Rivers Assembly Recalls Three Lawmakers After Wike’s Meeting With Fubara

The Rivers State House of Assembly has reversed its decision to declare the seats of three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara vacant, allowing them to resume their legislative duties.

The decision was taken during plenary on Monday as efforts to end the political crisis in the state continued, Naija News reports.

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

The House considered a letter from the three lawmakers in which they said they did not receive the notice asking them to return to sittings after the President’s intervention in the crisis.

They apologised to the Assembly, and their apology was accepted. The House subsequently directed them to resume their duties.

The three lawmakers were suspended on October 30, 2023, the same day the Assembly made its first attempt to impeach Fubara.

They have been absent from legislative sittings for almost three years.

Their return comes not long after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, led members of the Rainbow Coalition to meet with Fubara at his private residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the two political camps and bring the crisis in the state to an end.

The development comes amid questions about the reconciliation process led by Wike, with some stakeholders describing it as one-sided.

Critics have argued that the process did not initially provide for the return of the three lawmakers to the Assembly.

However, despite their reinstatement, the lawmakers are not expected to return to the Assembly after the end of their current tenure, as they were screened out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election process.