JUST IN: Wike’s Candidate Chinda Emerges Reps Minority Leader As Ihonvbere, Halims, Others Named APC Principal Officers

Honourable Abbas Kingsley Chinda, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Rivers State and former governor Nyesom Wike’s candidate, has been named the minority leader of the House of Representatives for the 10th Assembly.

Wike is the immediate past Governor of Rivers State.

The announcement was made on Tuesday on the floor of the House after resumption of plenary.

The House was inaugurated on June 13.

The speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, also announced the principal officers of the majority party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the lower house.

He announced Julius Ihonvbere, the lawmaker representing Owan east/Owan west of Edo as the majority leader, while Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims, legislator representing Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro of Kogi, was named the deputy majority leader.

Hon Bello Usman Kumo, representing Akko federal constituency of Gombe State, was named the chief whip while Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo north federal constituency in Ogun, was announced as the deputy chief whip.

Others who joined Chinda for the minority caucus are Ali Madaki of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who was named the deputy minority leader; Ali Isa of PDP was named minority whip while George Ebizimawo of Labour Party was announced as deputy minority whip.

Chinda’s emergence would be seen as a victory for Wike who had failed to produce his candidate, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe of the PDP, as the Senate Minority Leader.

Wike had nominated Jarigbe, the senator representing Cross River North in order to stop former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal becoming the Senate Minority Leader. Senator Simon Mwadkwon emerged as the Senate Minority Leader.

The former governor has been locked in a long political rivalry with the PDP and Tambuwal as a result of the disagreement that emerged during the conduct of the party’s presidential primary in 2022.