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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Amid rising tension in the House of Representatives over the position of minority leader, the House, yesterday, adopted a resolution barring first time members from occupying principal officers’ position.
The resolution effectively stalled the ambition of the member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, to serve as the next minority leader of the House.
Ugochinyere, a first time member, was nominated, last Wednesday by 61 members out of 81 of the opposition caucus, as minority leader, to replace Kingsley Chinda, who resigned from the position the previous day, in line with the extant rules of the House.
Order 7 Rule 9 of the House Standing Rules, mandates members of the minority caucus to choose their leaders from among themselves.
Last Thursday, the House had a rowdy session, following allegations by Deputy Spokesman, Philip Agbese, that his signature was forged in the document nominating the Imo lawmaker for the minority leader’s position. However, a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) clip, showing Agbese signing a document in Ugochinyere’s office later emerged.
While the Group of 60 Minority Caucus members pushing for Ugochinyere insisted there was no going back on their choice, the opposition argued that Order 7 Rule 15, states that only members with cognate experience can be principal officers.
However, during plenary yesterday, the Green chambers, adopted a motion stating that only members who have spent four years were qualified to be principal officers.
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According to the parliament, ‘Cognate Legislative Experience’ as contained in Order Seven, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the House” is defined as “members who have completed at least one full four-year term.”
The motion, titled, “Need for a Precise Definition of Order Seven, Rule 15 of the House of Representatives,” was sponsored by the member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Babajimi Benson, was passed without debate.
Babajimi noted that Order Seven, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives states that ‘only members with cognate legislative experience as members of the House of Representatives ‘shall be eligible for appointment as principal officers of the House.
Nonetheless, he argued that global parliamentary best practices rule out first term-parliamentarians from holding principal offices and reserve principal offices for experienced legislators to promote institutional memory, deepen understanding of legislative processes and enhance competence in constitutional interpretation and intergovernmental relations.
“The 10th Senate has recently defined ‘cognate legislative experience’ to mean ‘senators who have completed at least one full four-year term,’ adding that those with multiple previous terms must have served in the immediate past Assembly.”
The lawmaker added that it was necessary “to prioritise institutional memory, deepen parliamentary stability and continuity, legislative experience, minimise avoidable turbulence and promote matured representation in the comity of international parliamentary associations.”
Daily Sun gathered that the amendment has triggered fresh debate within the minority caucus, and permutations in the parliament.
However, inside sources said there were moves to resolve issues arising from the minority leadership contest, in the aftermath of the amendment. It was gathered that G-60 minority caucus lawmakers, which had nominated Ugochinyere because of their number, are expected to play key roles in the selection of the next minority leader and other minority principal officers.
