By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja
A majority of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives have endorsed Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere as the Minority Leader-designate following the emergence of a vacancy in the position after the defection of the former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Documents made available to journalists on Wednesday showed that 61 out of 81 opposition federal lawmakers signed a nomination backing Ugochinyere for the position and have forwarded their decision to the Speaker for formal announcement.
The lawmakers, drawn from several opposition parties including the NDC, ADC, APGA, PRP, Labour Party, APP, APM, SDP and Accord, said the decision followed extensive consultations and reflected the collective will of the minority caucus in the House.
The vacancy in the minority leadership arose after Chinda’s defection to the APC, where he later emerged as the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State.
Sources within the opposition caucus said the nomination was submitted in line with the House Standing Orders, which empower minority lawmakers to elect one of their members as Minority Leader.
The lawmakers expressed confidence that the Speaker would respect their decision and announce the new minority leadership in the coming days to ensure full representation of the opposition bloc in House proceedings.
They also disclosed that consultations were ongoing to fill other vacant minority leadership positions, including Deputy Minority Leader and Minority Whip, noting that one of the positions had already been allocated to a member of the NDC from the North-West. The remaining nominations, they said, would be finalised and transmitted to the Speaker after harmonisation.
Some lawmakers, who spoke anonymously, cited Ugochinyere’s legislative performance as a key reason for his endorsement, pointing to his sponsorship of over 40 bills, motions, and petitions within three years in the House, as well as his previous experience as Senior Adviser to the Senate President.
They argued that parliamentary leadership is determined by majority support, stressing that their decision aligns with democratic traditions in the National Assembly.
The lawmakers also referenced past leadership selections in the legislature, including the emergence of former Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former Speaker Yakubu Dogara, despite prevailing political expectations at the time.
The endorsement list includes lawmakers from across the six geopolitical zones, including Kaduna, Kano, Anambra, Lagos, Abia, Bauchi, Oyo, Sokoto, Osun, Edo, Taraba, Adamawa, Katsina, Kogi, Niger, Jigawa, and the Federal Capital Territory.
With 61 lawmakers backing him, Ugochinyere appears to have secured a clear majority of opposition members in the House, pending formal announcement by the Speaker.
