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From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
The Senate on Tuesday degenerated into heated arguments over the announcement of People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Senator Osita Ngwu as the new Minority Whip of the Senate.
The protests began immediately after Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the nomination of Ngwu as the temporary replacement of the now ousted Senator Darlington Nwokocha of the Labour Party
Akpabio made the declaration shortly after he was given the list of Minority Leadership with their appended signatures, however Leading the protest via a point of order at the floor of the Enugu Senator of the Labour Party challenged the announcement, according to him there was no way the Labour Party with seven Senators will be left without a leadership seat at Minority Leadership.
Ngwu’s counterpart argued that it is abject marginalisation for the vacant position which was previously by a labour party Senator to be replaced by a People’s Democratic Party Senator, Ezea queried “How can the three Minority Leadership seats be occupied by the PDP Senators.
Lending his voice to the charge, Senator Tony Nwoye of the Labour Party challenged the decision insisting that the Labour Party were not slaves to the Senate President. His words: “Are we your slaves? You have done your worst. Meaning what, this is unfair !!!
The issue subjected the Senate to a rowdy session for about 15 minutes as both the opposing and supporting Senators converged around the Senate President at the podium.
President of the Senate in his attempt to douse the Tension urged the protesting Lawmakers to accept the decision, according to Akpabio he only made the announcement based on majority of signatures of the Minority caucus as seen on the list given to him.
Akpabio revealed that according to the list given to him about 30 Senators out of 41 in the Minority had appended their signatures to the new leadership.
He said; “That is the PDP for you, if it were to be the APC (All Progressives Congress) it would have been fair. In sympathy with the Labour Party. It will be unfair to ignore the majority of votes and not announcement it. My job here is to work on the basis of the truth. Your point of order is hereby sustained. Akpabio thereafter via reference in point of order from the Senate rule book ruled out further deliberations on the matter.
With the new development three PDP and one Senator from the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP occupy the four minority Leadership seats while the Labour Party are left with none.
They are; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro ( PDP Benue South); Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olarere Oyewumi ( PDP Osun West); Senate Minority Whip Osita Ngwu and Deputy Minority Whip, Rufai Hanga (PDP Kano Central).
