Rivers Assembly Reverses Decision On Three Pro-Fubara Lawmakers’ Seats

The Rivers State House of Assembly has rescinded its earlier choice to declare the seats of three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara vacant, following appeals by the affected legislators explaining their failure to renew legislative duties after their suspension was lifted in December 2023.

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

The choice was taken on Monday in the course of the 68th legislative sitting of the Fourth Session of the Tenth Assembly, after Speaker Martin Amaewhule learn separate letters of attraction from the three lawmakers.

In their letters, the legislators apologised to the House and defined that they didn’t resume attendance as a result of that they had not obtained official correspondence informing them that their suspension had been lifted.

They appealed to the Assembly to rethink its choice declaring their seats vacant, sustaining that their absence from plenary was not deliberate however resulted from their alleged lack of expertise of the communication lifting their suspension.

The appeals had been subsequently debated by members of the House, who expressed assist for reconsidering the sooner choice and permitting the affected lawmakers to renew their legislative tasks.

Following the deliberations, the Speaker put the query to a vote, and the lawmakers voted in favour of rescinding the choice declaring the three seats vacant.

The reversal is predicted to pave the way in which for the affected legislators to return to the Assembly and characterize their respective constituencies.

Speaking in the course of the proceedings, Amaewhule mentioned the House had thought-about the circumstances surrounding the appeals, noting that investigations indicated that the lawmakers won’t have obtained the correspondence notifying them of the lifting of their suspension.

The Speaker careworn that the choice ought to be guided by justice and the provisions of the regulation reasonably than feelings.

He maintained that the lawmakers’ explanations had been thought-about alongside the submissions made by different members earlier than the House arrived at its choice.

The newest improvement marks a big flip within the legislative dispute involving the three lawmakers, whose seats had been declared vacant following their continued absence from legislative sittings after their suspension was lifted.

Background to the Dispute

The controversy dates again to October 30, 2023, when the Assembly suspended 4 lawmakers in the course of the political disaster that engulfed Rivers State and deepened tensions between the state authorities and the legislature.

The suspension was lifted on December 20, 2023, following a presidential intervention involving President Bola Tinubu, who convened a gathering between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as a part of efforts to resolve the political disaster.

However, the three lawmakers did not resume attendance at plenary after the suspension was lifted.

The Assembly subsequently declared their seats vacant on October 15, 2024, citing Section 109(1)(e) and (f), in addition to Section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The constitutional provisions handle circumstances beneath which a state lawmaker might lose their seat, together with failure to attend legislative sittings beneath the circumstances specified by the regulation.

Following the choice, the Assembly notified the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct bye-elections to fill the three vacant seats.

The lawmakers’ newest appeals, nonetheless, prompted the House to rethink that place, with members voting to reverse the sooner declaration.

The choice underscores a contemporary improvement within the long-running legislative dispute related to the political disaster in Rivers State.

It additionally raises questions concerning the subsequent steps required to regularise the standing of the affected constituencies, significantly in view of the sooner notification to INEC to conduct by-elections.