A majority of opposition members in the House of Representatives have thrown their support behind Imo lawmaker, Ikenga Ugochinyere, to become the next Minority Leader following the resignation and defection of former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
A total of 61 opposition lawmakers have reportedly endorsed Ugochinyere and submitted his nomination to the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, for approval and formal announcement in line with parliamentary procedures.
Documents obtained by journalists on Wednesday showed that 61 of the 81 opposition lawmakers in the House signed the nomination, giving the Imo representative broad support across different political parties, regions and religious groups.
The minority leadership position became vacant after Chinda, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected to the APC and later emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 Rivers State election.
Sources within the opposition caucus revealed that the endorsement followed extensive consultations involving lawmakers from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Accord Party.
The lawmakers maintained that their decision aligns with the House Standing Orders, which grant minority caucus members the authority to choose their leaders.
According to them, “the House of Representatives Standing Orders, particularly Order 7, Rule 7, provide that members of the minority caucus shall elect among themselves those who will occupy minority leadership positions.”
Some lawmakers, who spoke anonymously, expressed confidence that Speaker Abbas would respect the choice of the majority of opposition members and officially announce the new leadership in the coming days.
They also disclosed that agreements had been reached on the positions of Deputy Minority Leader and Minority Whip, while discussions continue regarding the final composition of the minority leadership team.
The opposition lawmakers cited Ugochinyere’s legislative record and contributions in the House as key reasons for supporting his nomination.
Representing Ideato North and Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ugochinyere has sponsored several bills, motions and petitions during the current assembly and previously served as Senior Special Adviser to a former Senate President.
The opposition bloc in the House has witnessed significant changes in recent months due to a series of defections, resulting in shifts within the minority caucus.
Widely regarded as one of the most outspoken opposition voices in the 10th House, Ugochinyere currently serves on several important committees and has been actively involved in debates on governance, electoral reforms and national political issues.
As of the time of filing this report, the Office of the Speaker had not issued an official statement on the nomination. However, opposition lawmakers remain optimistic that the matter will be resolved in accordance with House rules and parliamentary tradition.
Speaker Abbas is expected to meet with members of the minority caucus on Thursday.
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