Uproar in Senate over minority leadership seats

PDP’s Moro, Ngwu emerge leader, whip LP senator kicks, alleges Akpabio’s imposition There was a rowdy session in the Senate on Tuesday following the announcement of two minority leaders by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The seats of the Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip became vacant after the Court of Appeal sacked the former occupants, […]

• PDP’s Moro, Ngwu emerge leader, whip
• LP senator kicks, alleges Akpabio’s imposition

There was a rowdy session in the Senate on Tuesday following the announcement of two minority leaders by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The seats of the Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip became vacant after the Court of Appeal sacked the former occupants, Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North) and Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central) respectively.

During Tuesday’s plenary, Akpabio announced the duo of Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) as Minority Leader and Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) as Minority Whip.

The Senate president said Moro and Ngwu had the majority support of their colleagues in the opposition with 41 and 30 signatories respectively.

However, the announcement did not sit well with other parties in the minority caucus especially Labour Party (LP).

PDP maintains majority in the opposition with over 30 senators while LP has seven. SDP and NNPP have two senators each and APGA one.

With the latest announcement, PDP has taken three out of the four principal positions reserved for the minority parties with the NNPP taking the fourth position – the deputy minority whip.

Raising a point of order, Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu North), protested the absence of his party in the minority leadership, describing the arrangement as injustice against other minority parties.

“At the minority meeting, from which we just came out, Abba Moro was endorsed but for the position of minority whip, we agreed to schedule another meeting because the leadership has to be shared equitably.

“There is no way we have four leadership seats for the minority in this Senate and the PDP will take three of the seats. The next party is Labour Party with seven senators and we get nothing. That is unfair, that is unjust, that is unacceptable and against the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution,” Ezea said.

The Senate thereafter degenerated into a rowdy session with LP lawmakers shouting “point of order.”

Amid the uproar, Senator Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North) accused Akpabio of imposing minority leaders on the opposition parties.

“How can you be choosing minority leaders for us? Are we your slaves?” Nwoyi tackled the Senate president.

After about 15 minutes of the rowdy session, the Senate president addressed the opposition lawmakers and dismissed the claim of his interfering in the affairs of the opposition.

Akpabio said he only announced the names forwarded to him by the opposition caucus and that it would be unfair not to respect the voice of the majority.

He, therefore, urged the opposition caucus to always put its house in order before forwarding any name to him.