Rivers Assembly recalls three Fubara loyalists after apology

The Rivers State House of Assembly has overturned its previous decision to declare vacant the seats of three lawmakers supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara. This reversal followed peace and reconciliation efforts to address the ongoing political crisis in the state. The lawmakers affected are Victor Oko-Jumbo from Bonny, Adolphus Timothy Oruibienimigha from Opobo/Nkoro, and Sokari Goodboy Sokari from Ahoada West.

During a plenary session, the House received a letter from the lawmakers claiming they had not received any correspondence requesting their return to legislative sittings since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's intervention in the crisis. The lawmakers also apologized to the House, which accepted their apology. Consequently, the House ordered them to resume their duties.

This development came after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, led stakeholders from the Rainbow Coalition to visit Governor Fubara at his private residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday. The lawmakers were suspended on October 30, 2023, coinciding with the Assembly's initial attempt to impeach Governor Fubara.

They have been absent from sessions for nearly three years. The return of the three lawmakers to the House is occurring amidst questioning of the recent peace process led by Wike, with some describing it as one-sided and not allowing for the lawmakers' return to the House. However, the lawmakers will not remain in the Assembly beyond this tenure as they were all disqualified from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election process.