* As Wike-Fubara peace, reconciliation strikes proceed
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Rivers State House of Assembly has rescinded its determination to declare the seats of three pro-Governor Siminalayi Fubara lawmakers vacant.
The improvement alerts renewed drive in reconciliation efforts between the governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The affected lawmakers are Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari and Hon. Orubienimigha Timothy, whose seats had been declared vacant on October 15, 2025, following their failure to attend legislative sittings after their suspension was lifted.
The determination to reverse the declaration adopted separate letters dated October 16, 2026, from the three lawmakers, interesting to the House to rethink its place.
The letters had been learn by the Speaker, Hon. Martin Amaewhule, throughout plenary Monday.
In their appeals, the lawmakers defined that they didn’t obtain or see the communication notifying them that their suspension had been lifted, insisting that this was why they did not resume attendance at plenary.
After deliberations on the letters, the lawmakers voted to rescind the sooner determination declaring the three seats vacant, successfully opening the door for a potential return to the legislative fold.
The House had initially suspended the trio on October 30, 2023, throughout the protracted political disaster that pited Fubara towards his predecessor, Wike. Their suspension was lifted on December 20, 2023, following an preliminary peace initiative facilitated by President Bola Tinubu.
However, their continued absence from sittings prompted the Assembly to declare their seats vacant in October 2025, citing Section 109(1)(e) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The House subsequently wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), requesting a bye-election to fill the positions.
The newest reversal comes towards the backdrop of renewed reconciliation efforts involving Wike, Fubara, the Assembly management and native authorities chairmen throughout the state.
About a fortnight in the past, Wike led members of the Rainbow Coalition, together with political figures related to the All Progressives Congress (APC), to satisfy with Fubara. The engagement was adopted by one other assembly on Sunday on the governor’s personal residence in Port Harcourt.
