Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, has announced new principal officers for the minority caucus.
Speaking during Thursday’s plenary, Abbas named Frederick Agbedi, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker representing Ekeremo/Sagbama federal constituency in Bayelsa, as the minority leader.
Agbedi is a member of the PDP faction loyal Kabiru Turaki.
Abbas also announced Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) representing Kebbe/Tambuwal federal constituency of Sokoto, as deputy minority leader.
Mansur Manu Soro of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), who represents Darazo/Ganjuwa federal constituency of Bauchi, was named as the minority whip.
The speaker said the minority caucus unanimously nominated the lawmakers for the positions.
Abbas said the leadership of the house would “work assiduously” with the newly appointed officers to achieve the legislative objectives of the green chamber.
On Wednesday, the house barred first-term lawmakers from holding principal offices.
The resolution effectively shut out Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, lawmaker representing Ideato north/Ideato south federal constituency in Imo state and member of the Action People’s Party (APP), from the race for minority leader.
Last week, some opposition lawmakers nominated Ugochiyere for the minority leader position to succeed Kingsley Chinda, lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor federal constituency, who vacated the role after emerging as the APC governorship candidate for Rivers state.
But Philip Agbese, deputy spokesperson of the green chamber and a member of the Labour Party (LP), denied endorsing Ugochinyere to lead the minority caucus.
Agbese alleged that his signature was forged on the document nominating Ugochinyere for the role — a claim the APP lawmaker dismissed as an “outrageous lie”.
Ugochinyere would later release a video to back his claim that Agbese signed the document endorsing him for the position of minority leader.
