BREAKING: Ikenga Ugochinyere Emerges Reps Minority Leader

Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere has emerged as the Minority Leader-designate of the House of Representatives after securing the backing of 61 opposition lawmakers.

Documents obtained by THE WHISTLER show that the lawmakers, drawn from various opposition parties in the House of Representatives, nominated Ugochinyere for the position and submitted the endorsement to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Speaker is expected to announce the opposition lawmakers’ decision at the next plenary.

The development followed the vacancy created by the exit of former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and emerged as the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State.

The documents show that 61 lawmakers from the minority caucus endorsed Ugochinyere as their preferred candidate to lead the opposition in the green chamber.

The lawmakers were drawn from the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Labour Party (LP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Accord Party.

Sources within the opposition caucus said the nomination was transmitted to the Speaker in accordance with Order 7 Rule 7 of the House Standing Orders, which empowers minority members to elect their leader.

The lawmakers also disclosed that consultations had progressed on other vacant minority leadership offices, including Deputy Minority Leader and Minority Whip, with one of the positions already allocated to a member of the NDC from the North-West.

Explaining their choice, the lawmakers cited Ugochinyere’s legislative record of sponsoring and moving more than 40 bills, motions and petitions within three years in the house.

They also acknowledged his previous service as Senior Adviser to the Senate President.