Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
There was confusion in the House of Representatives, yesterday, as two groups of opposition lawmakers led by Kingsley Chinda and Ndudi Elumelu laid claim to House Minority leadership.
The development has also split the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While the party endorsed Chinda, the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) is in favour of Elemelu.
The PDP in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila cannot impose leaders on the minority caucus. It maintained that its choice as leaders of the opposition caucus, which it communicated to the speaker, are Kingsley Chinda, Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyema, Deputy Minority Leader, Yakubu Barde – Minority Whip and Muraina Ajibola, Deputy Minority Whip
However, the chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin declared support for Elumelu.
Jibrin, who made the commitment, yesterday, when Elumelu led other leaders of the group on visit to his Abuja residence, expressed hopes that their emergence will not be challenged by anyone
Trouble started midway into plenary when Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila announced that he had received a communication from members of minority parties, informing him of their choice of minority leaders.
Chinda, through a point of order, interrupted the Speaker, as he attempted to read the communication. Citing Order 7 Rule 8, the lawmaker contended that the House Rules provides that it is the minority party, and not opposition lawmakers, that should send a communication to the House on those chosen to serve as leaders of the minority.
However, Gbajabiamila ruled him out of order, saying that the rule stipulates that all the opposition lawmakers in the House should choose the minority leadership. He stated that is not for a single political party to chose the minority Leadership.
At that point, the House become charged and rowdy as members started shouting at the top of their voice. Suddenly, a lawmaker rushed towards the mace, removed it from its normal position and lowered it.
The struggle over the mace led to exchange of blows in which Ajibola Muraina from Oyo State was pushed down.
Amidst the confusion, the Speaker announced Elumelu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Delta State as the Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, from Enugu, Deputy Minority Leader; Gideon Goni, Minority Whip from Kaduna, Adekoye from Ogun State as Deputy Minority Whip.
After the announcement, Gbajabiamila invited the acting Chief Whip, Abdulrasak Namdas to move a motion for adjournment. Namdas was yet to get up from his seat when the Speaker, shouted, “my friend, move the motion.”
Without putting the motion to a vote, a visibly agitated Gbajabiamila announced the adjournment of plenary to today.
Addressing journalists on the development, Chinda, who represents Obi/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers, dismissed the list of minority leaders announced by the Speaker, saying it did not reflect the wishes of opposition lawmakers.
The lawmaker noted that what the Speaker did was an attempt by the ruling party to foist a leadership on the minority caucus. He vowed that Gbajabiamila’s action will not stand..
Chinda, who was flanked by some opposition lawmakers, explained that the list sent to the House leadership by the PDP after consultations with other opposition parties have him as minority leader, Chukwuma Onyema, deputy minority leader; Yakubu Barde, minority whip and Ajibola Muraina as deputy minority whip.
“It is standard parliamentary practice that in parliament minority leadership comes from among the minority parties and a correspondence is always sent. In our case, that was followed. The PDP in discussion with other minority parties agreed on its leadership in parliament and forwarded a letter to Mr. Speaker dated June 21 2019. A copy of the letter was received on June 26 in the office of the Speaker.
“We came today only to hear our dear speaker attempting to read what he themed as correspondence from a congregation of political parties. That some honorable members have endorsed some other persons as minority leader outside what was forwarded to him. And that he would want to adopt that…We are members of the minority party.”