Yesterday, the Senate erupted in a chaotic session after Senate President Godswill Akpabio Announced the appointment of Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) as Minority Leader and Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) as Minority Whip.
Akpabio said: “Abba Moro is now the Minority Leader of the Senate and this is the resolution of the minority in favour of Senator Abba Moro which 41 senators signed. “I also have another document sent by the minority: 30 of them have also signed nominating Senator Osita Ngwu as Senate Minority Whip.”
Oyewunmi Olarere, the deputy minority leader, belongs to the PDP as well.
The positions of Minority Leader and Minority Whip were left unfilled following the dismissal of their previous holders, Senators Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North) and Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central), by the Court of Appeal.
The appellate court dismissed Nwokocha and replaced him with Senator Augustine Akobundu, a fellow PDP member, while also declaring the election of Mwadkwon invalid and ordering a rerun.
The PDP senators met last week at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to discuss the Minority Leader and Minority Whip's replacements.
Following the closed-door meeting, Garba Maidoki (PDP, Kebbi South) told reporters that the opposition lawmakers had decided to have the Minority Leader produced by the Northcentral.However, during yesterday's plenary, the senators from the Labour Party (LP) objected to the appointments.
They protested that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was awarded the remaining two minority positions for Principal Officers, leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with three.
Senator Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North) charged Akpabio of choosing minority leaders for the opposition parties amid the chaos.
“How can you be choosing minority leaders for us? Are we your slaves?” Nwoye questioned the President of the Senate.
While all senators from the Progressives Congress (APC) made an effort to appease their Liberal Party counterparts, members of the Labour Party decided to seek guidance from Akpabio regarding the matter.
Following a chaotic fifteen minutes, Akpabio addressed the opposition lawmakers and debunked the accusation of meddling in their internal affairs.
