Opposition Senators protest appointment of new Senate minority leaders

Opposition Senators under the Labour Party, Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have kicked against the appointment of new minority leaders.

The Senators during the plenary revolted against 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, Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North) and Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central) respectively.

The courts nullified the election of Mwadkwon and ordered a rerun, while Nwokocha was removed as Augustine Akobundu of the PDP was declared as the authentic winner of the 25 February election in the senatorial district.

The PDP senators had, last week, held an emergency crucial meeting on the replacement for the principal positions of Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip. Senator Garba Maidoki (PDP, Bauchi), who briefed journalists after the closed-door meeting, had said the opposition lawmakers settled for the North Central geo-political zone to produce the Minority Leader.

At 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 the new minority leaders had the majority support of their colleagues in the opposition.

According to him, 41 minority senators signed the document endorsing Moro as minority leader, while 30 backed Ngwu for the minority whip seat.

However, the announcement which apparently did not satisfy the interest of other parties in the minority caucus, especially the Labour Party, stirred up reactions.

The mood changed on Tuesday  in the Senate when Akpabio announced Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West), as Minority Whip.

The PDP maintains a majority in the opposition with over 30 senators, while Labour Party has seven. SDP and NNPP have two senators each and APGA has one.

With the latest arrangement, the PDP has taken three out of the four principal positions reserved for the minority parties

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 an injustice against other minority parties.

Ezea said, “At the minority meeting from which we just came out of, 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 the Labour Party with seven senators and we get nothing, that is unfair, that is unjust, that is unacceptable and is against the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution.

“How can the PDP take three minority leadership seats? This is unfair, unjust and unacceptable.”

Ruling on Ezea’s point of order, Akpabio said, “That is the PDP, if you were talking about the APC, I am sure they would have been fair and considerate. I am in total sympathy with the Labour Party,  I am in total sympathy with the minority party, SDP and others.”

The Senate thereafter degenerated into a rowdy session with LP lawmakers rejecting their party’s exclusion in the minority leadership.

Resisting the development, Senator Tony Nwoyi (LP, Anambra North) accused Akpabio of hand picking minority leaders for the opposition parties.

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

Lawmakers from the ruling party made efforts to pacify their colleagues from LP, some of whom approached Akpabio for consultation.

After about 15 minutes of rowdy session, the Senate President addressed the opposition lawmakers and dismissed the allegations that he interferred in the affairs of the opposition by hand-picking the minority leaders.

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 their house in order before forwarding any name to him.

“All we need to produce a leader is a simple majority. What’s the reason for not agreeing with the position of the majority?

“41 minority senators signed for Abah Moro and 30 signed for Osita Ngwu. They have the majority. It will be unfair for me not to announce them after getting a majority of support. My job is not to work with individual opinion but with the majority of positions,” he said.

“If you are about 48 or 49 and 30 people have signed, what is the magic that you said he should not be announced?

“If you are 49 and 41 persons have signed for Abba Moro, what is the reason why you said the Senate President should not announce? The majority have agreed. 

“The majority have signed, and some are still signing, but not all of you have signed for Abba Moro, but he already has the majority.

“It would be unfair for me to ignore the majority signatures and refuse to announce Senator Moro as your minority leader for now, at the same time it would also be unfair for me to see somebody who actually is in the majority, what he actually needs is 24 or 25 senators and he has up to 30 and I will not announce him.

“No matter your personal observations, I just want to plead with my colleagues to understand that my job here is not to take individual opinion or to work what some want but to work on the basis of truth,” he argued.

Efforts by Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi) to convince Akpabio to stay action on the seat of the minority whip failed as the Senate President ruled him out of order.

Aliero explained that the opposition caucus resolved that Abba Moro should be the minority leader, but was yet to decide on the position of the minority whip.

Ruling Aliero out of order, Akpabio, referred him to the Senate Standing Rule 52(6), which says it shall be out of order for any senator to speak on any issue that has already been decided.

However, addressing reporters soon after the day’s session, the new Minority Leader, called for unity and promised on behalf of his colleagues to play the role of a vibrant opposition.