Rivers Assembly Rescinds Decision on Three Vacant Seats

The Rivers State House of Assembly has rescinded its earlier decision declaring the seats of three lawmakers vacant following their appeals for reconsideration.

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

The decision was made on Monday October 19, 2026 during the 68th Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Tenth Assembly, following the presentation and consideration of separate letters of appeal from the affected lawmakers.

Reading the letters at plenary, Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule said the lawmakers had apologised to the House, explaining that they did not resume legislative duties after their suspension was lifted in December 2023 because they claimed they were not informed that the suspension had been revoked.

The lawmakers were among four members suspended on October 30, 2023, amid the political crisis that engulfed Rivers State. Their suspension was lifted on December 20, 2023, following a presidential intervention.

However, the trio’s continued absence from legislative sittings prompted the House, on October 15, 2024, to declare their seats vacant and notify the Independent National Electoral Commission of the need to conduct elections to fill the vacancies.

During Monday’s sitting, members of the Assembly debated the appeals and expressed support for reconsidering the earlier decision, urging the House to allow their colleagues to resume legislative duties and represent their constituencies.

In his remarks, Speaker Amaewhule said investigations suggested that the lawmakers might not have received the correspondence informing them that their suspension had been lifted. He stressed that the decision should be guided by justice and the relevant provisions of the law rather than emotions.

Following a question put to the House, members voted in favour of rescinding the earlier resolution declaring the three seats vacant, paving the way for the lawmakers to return to legislative duties.

The House had previously relied on Section 109, subsections 1(e), 1(f) and 2 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, in declaring the seats vacant over the lawmakers’ continued absence from legislative sittings.