The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC: Lagos), on Thursday 4th July 2019 read a communication from members of the APC in the House announcing the Majority leadership.
He stated that the announcement was in line with the rules of the House Order 7, Rule 4 which states that the leader of the House shall be a member nominated from among the majority party and Rules 5, 6, and 7 which makes provision for the appointments of other principal officers.
The announcement was greeted with loud ovation from members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives. The House Majority Leadership is constituted as follows:
Hon Alhassan Ado Dogowa – Majority Leader (APC: Kano),
Hon Peter Akpatason- Deputy Majority Leader (APC: Edo),
Hon Mohammed Tahir Monguno- Chief Whip (APC: Borno),
Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha Deputy Chief Whip (APC: Abia).
Hon. Doguwa was the Chief Whip in the 8th House of Representatives while Hon. Onyejeocha, the only female member in the leadership, had aspired to be the Speaker of the 9th Assembly before stepping down to back Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who emerged Speaker.
It will be recalled that an incident broke out in the House the day before after the Speaker, read a communication he averred was signed by over ninety (90) members of the minority parties informing the House of their selection of the Minority leadership, after ignoring a list sent by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) wherein Hon. O.K. Chinda (PDP: Rivers) was nominated as the Minority Leader of the House.
Before the Speaker’s announcement, Hon. O.K. Chinda raised a Point of Order of privilege referring the House to the letter from the minority caucus announcing the appointment of the Minority Leaders of the House and stated that the list did not have the input of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which is the largest minority party in the House. He stated that the (PDP) had sent a list communicating to the House those who had been chosen as the minority leadership.
The Speaker acknowledged the Point of Order, but observed that there was no breach of either the House Rules or any member’s privilege in the minority parties in their nomination of their leaders, as it complied with the provisions of the Standing Orders. He therefore proceeded to announce the principal officers of the minority parties as follows:
Hon Ndudi Godwin Elumelu- Minority Leader (PDP: Delta),
Hon Toby Okechukwu – Deputy Minority Leader (PDP: Enugu),
Hon Gideon Gwani Lucas -Minority Whip (PDP:Kaduna),
Hon Adesegun Adekoya Abdul-Majid – Deputy Minority Whip (PDP:Ogun)
Subsequently, a protest ensued while some aggrieved lawmakers attempted to take the mace. Hon Chinda and his supporters have stated they will not accept a situation where the majority party in the House will impose a minority leader on its members.
