Can the Wike-Fubara truce hold? Rivers Assembly reverses seat ruling

The Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday reversed its decision to declare the seats of three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara vacant, restoring their membership. The affected legislators are Victor Oko-Jumbo (Bonny Constituency), Sokari Goodboy Sokari (Ahoada West Constituency), and Timothy Oruibienimigha (Opobo/Nkoro Constituency).

Speaker Martin Amaewhule read separate letters of appeal from the three lawmakers during plenary. The lawmakers apologised and said they had not resumed sitting because they never received official correspondence that their suspension had been lifted. Members debated and voted to reverse the seat-vacancy declaration during the 68th legislative sitting of the Fourth Session of the Tenth Assembly.

The decision came a day after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike led lawmakers and the state's 23 local government chairpersons to a reconciliation meeting with the governor at his private residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday. Coverage links the reversal to that meeting, framing it as part of ongoing reconciliatory efforts within the Rainbow Coalition, particularly between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike in the House.

The move signals a possible thaw in the Fubara–Wike feud that has split the state Assembly into rival factions and drawn in INEC over bye-election questions. But because earlier agreements in this dispute have repeatedly collapsed, the reinstatement may be a tactical pause rather than a durable settlement.

Several questions remain unanswered.

Whether it holds will depend on whether the underlying dispute between Fubara and Wike is actually settled — something earlier agreements in this dispute have failed to achieve.