From Kenneth Udeh Abuja
There was an uproar, yesterday, in the Senate as Godswill Akpabio named Abba Moro and Osita Ngwu as minority leader and minority whip, respectively.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members replaced Simon Mwadkwon, senator representing Plateau North and Darlington Nwokocha, representing Abia Central, who were sacked by the Appeal Court.
Mwadkwon, former minority leader, is a PDP member, while Nwokocha of the Labour Party (LP) was the minority whip.
Immediately Akpabio read the names of the two lawmakers said to have emanated from the list of the minority caucus, altercation ensued on the floor of parliament.
In a daring display of disagreement, LP senator, Okey Ezea, representing Enugu North challenged the announcement, saying there was no way the LP with seven senators would be left without a leadership seat. While calling for withdrawal of the announcement, he complained that the minority caucus only agreed to appoint Moro as minority leader. He argued that since the PDP already held two positions and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) held one out of the four minority leadership seats, it would be unfair to cede minority seat to PDP.
“How can the three minority leadership seats be occupied by the PDP senators? This is totally unfair,” Ezea charged.
Supporting the protest, LP’s Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North, said it was unfair for the Senate president to choose leaders for them.He accused Akpabio of influencing the minority leadership appointments.
“Are we your slaves? Why will the senate president be picking leaders for us? You have done your worst. You have pushed us to the wall. Meaning what? It is unfair. It is not about me, it is about the institution of the state,” Nwoye yelled at the presiding officer.
The issue threw the Senate into a rowdy session for about 15 minutes as both the opposing and supporting senators converged around the Senate president at the podium.
Nwoye said the minority parties deserved the right to choose their leaders without undue influence and interference.
Adamu Aliero said the minority caucus had held a meeting nominating Moro as the new minority leader and mandated him to present the signatories of minority senators who endorsed him as the minority leader. “On the nomination of the minority chief whip, two nominees were presented; signatories are still being collated. Another meeting was scheduled to conclude the process of nomination of a minority chief whip.”
Aliero said the minority caucus was yet to mandate him to present a nomination for the position of minority chief whip.
But Akpabio explained that the two minority leaders had shown the signatories of the senators who agreed with the decision. He said he had no option other than to make the announcement since majority of the minority senators had appended their signatures. Akpabio, however, agreed that signatures of some senators in the minority caucus were missing from the list forwarded to him. “The senate president can only work with what is before him. You have senator Abaribe and Aliero, their names are not here.”
He 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.
“That is the PDP for you. If it were to be the APC, it would have been fair. In sympathy with the Labour Party, it will be unfair to ignore the majority of votes and not announce it. My job here is to work on the basis of 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 LP is left with none.
They are Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro ( PDP Benue South); Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Olarere Oyewumi ( PDP Osun West); Senate Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu; and Deputy Minority Whip, Rufai Hanga (PDP Kano Central).