Rivers Assembly reinstates three pro-Fubara lawmakers

Reinstatement means the Assembly has withdrawn its earlier vacancy declaration and restored the three lawmakers’ status as members. They can resume legislative duties instead of being replaced through fresh elections. The decision matters because it changes the Assembly’s membership and reflects a fresh attempt to reduce the political conflict in Rivers State.

The lawmakers appealed separately to Speaker Martin Amaewhule. They apologised for missing sittings and said they did not receive official notice that their earlier suspension had been lifted. After debating the appeals, the lawmakers voted to reverse the vacancy declaration.

This does not erase the wider dispute between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Nyesom Wike’s political camp. It does, however, remove an immediate contest over three seats. Their return could help the Assembly operate with fewer divisions, especially after a reconciliation meeting involving Wike, Fubara, lawmakers, and local government chairpersons.

The three lawmakers are Timothy Oruibienimigha of Opobo/Nkoro Constituency, Victor Jumbo of Bonny Constituency, and Sokari Goodboy Sokari of Ahoada West Constituency. They were among four lawmakers suspended during the political crisis that split the Rivers State Assembly into factions.

The Assembly later lifted their suspension in December 2023, following a presidential intervention. However, the three did not resume legislative duties. They told the Assembly that they allegedly never received official correspondence informing them that the suspension had been lifted. In October 2024, the Amaewhule-led Assembly declared their seats vacant because of their continued absence and said it had notified INEC about replacement elections.

The latest decision reverses that action. After the lawmakers submitted appeals and apologised, the Assembly accepted that they might not have received the relevant notice. Their seats therefore remain theirs, allowing them to return rather than face replacement elections.

When the Rivers State Assembly split in October 2023, 27 lawmakers backed Nyesom Wike, while four supported Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The figures show how sharply divided the legislature became and why control of the Assembly was central to the broader political crisis.

Edison Ehie led the four-member pro-Fubara faction. He obtained a court order allowing that group to continue legislative proceedings and later became its speaker. The larger, Wike-backed group was led by Martin Amaewhule. For a period, both factions held sittings and conducted legislative business, creating competing claims to authority.

Later court decisions favoured the 27 lawmakers. The Court of Appeal reinstated them in July 2024, and the Supreme Court ruled in February 2025 for the Amaewhule-led Assembly. The current return of three pro-Fubara lawmakers changes the membership issue, but the original split remains an important part of the Assembly’s history.

The legitimacy dispute began in October 2023, when the Assembly split during an impeachment attempt against Governor Fubara. Edison Ehie’s four-member faction secured a court order to continue proceedings, while the larger Amaewhule-led faction also claimed authority. Ehie later resigned after President Bola Tinubu brokered a peace deal in December 2023.

The courts then reshaped the balance. In July 2024, the Court of Appeal reinstated 27 lawmakers and recognised Martin Amaewhule as speaker. In February 2025, the Supreme Court ruled for the Amaewhule-led Assembly and restored the lawmakers’ status as legitimate legislators. That ruling also affected decisions made by the rival faction.

In March 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency, suspended Fubara, his deputy, and Assembly members, and appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas sole administrator. Emergency rule ended in September 2025. The elected officials returned, but reconciliation remained necessary, leading to renewed efforts and the latest reversal.

A state House of Assembly generally passes laws for the state, approves budgets, considers executive proposals, and scrutinises government actions. It can also debate public issues and represent local constituencies. These powers make the legislature a major part of state government, although the article does not provide a detailed list of its constitutional powers.

The Rivers crisis shows why control matters. The rival factions considered budget proposals and screened commissioner nominees while separately conducting legislative business. A governor who lacks legislative support may face resistance over spending plans, appointments, or other major decisions. A legislature aligned with the governor may make those measures easier to advance, while a hostile House can increase political pressure.

In Rivers, control of the Assembly became part of the struggle between Fubara and Wike. Court rulings, suspensions, and competing sittings affected which group was recognised. The latest reinstatement may reduce one dispute, but it does not by itself settle every conflict between the executive and legislature.

The reversal removes an immediate institutional dispute. The Assembly had declared the three seats vacant and notified INEC that elections should be held. By withdrawing that move, it keeps the constituencies represented by their existing lawmakers and gives those lawmakers a path back into legislative work.

The mechanism is straightforward. Each lawmaker submitted an appeal to Speaker Martin Amaewhule and apologised for missing sittings. They said they had not received official correspondence confirming that their suspension had been lifted. After debate, the Assembly voted to rescind the earlier vacancy resolution. That vote restored their ability to resume duties.

Governance could become more stable if the return encourages cooperation and reduces factional confrontation. The lawmakers’ participation may also strengthen the Assembly’s ability to conduct regular business. However, the article describes more than three years of political hostility, court battles, and emergency rule. Reinstatement is therefore a step toward stability, not proof that the conflict has ended.

The reconciliation meeting matters because the Rivers crisis involves several centres of political power. Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, state lawmakers, and all 23 local government chairpersons participated in the meeting described in the article. Their relationships can influence whether state institutions cooperate or remain locked in factional conflict.

The latest Assembly decision followed the meeting by one day. That timing suggests the broader reconciliation effort created space for the three lawmakers’ appeals to be considered. Their return addresses three seats, while discussions involving local government chairpersons reach beyond the legislature. The meeting therefore connects the seat dispute with the wider political structure of the state.

If the reconciliation holds, it could reduce confrontations that have disrupted governance for more than three years. It may help elected officials work through the Assembly and executive rather than through rival factions or prolonged legal battles. The article also shows that previous interventions did not permanently resolve the dispute, so stability will depend on whether cooperation continues.