Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State House of Assembly has reinstated three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whose seats were previously declared vacant.
The affected lawmakers are Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, Hon. Timothy Oruibienimigh and Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari, representing Bonny Constituency, Opobo/Nkoro and Ahoada West Constituencies.
The House rescinded its earlier decision at plenary on Monday following letters of appeal sent to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule by the affected lawmakers.
In the letters read by the Speaker, the trio apologized to the House, explaining that they failed to resume legislative duties because they did not receive correspondence notifying them that their suspension of 30th October, 2023, had been lifted on 20th December, 2023, after President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the state’s political crisis.
Amaewhule said an investigation showed they may not have received the notice as claimed, adding that the law is not driven by emotion.
“The law does not feast on emotion, neither does the law see the rotund face of the rich nor the angular face of the poor, but sees only justice,” he said.
When put to vote, members unanimously voted in favour of rescinding the earlier decision, paving the way for the lawmakers to return after nearly two years of absence.
The three lawmakers were among four members suspended on 30th October, 2023, during the Assembly’s first attempt to impeach Governor Fubara, following the fallout between the Governor and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Although the suspension was lifted on 20th December, 2023, the House later declared their seats vacant on 15th October, 2024, at its 56th Legislative Sitting, citing continued absence from sittings without just cause, in line with Section 109(1)(e) and (f) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, and notified INEC to conduct fresh elections.
The reinstatement comes a day after Wike led stakeholders of the Rainbow Coalition on a second visit to Governor Fubara at his private residence in Port Harcourt in less than a month, as part of ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts.
The development, however, raises questions about the political future of the lawmakers, as they were reportedly screened out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary process and are not expected to return to the House after the expiration of their current tenure.
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