The G-60 Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has insisted that it has not withdrawn its nomination of Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere as Minority Leader-designate, amid controversy surrounding the leadership position.
The clarification comes following reports suggesting a possible fresh nomination process after some lawmakers questioned the authenticity of endorsements backing Ugochinyere’s emergence.
Recall that out of 81 members in the Minority Caucus, 61 lawmakers had reportedly signed in support of Ugochinyere’s nomination to replace Hon. Kingsley Chinda, who vacated the position after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and later emerging as its governorship candidate in Rivers State.
However, tension arose after Hon. Philip Agbese allegedly denied endorsing the nomination, prompting the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to convene a meeting of caucus members to review the matter.
At the meeting, discussions reportedly centred on whether a fresh nomination process should be conducted to resolve the leadership impasse.
But in a joint statement issued by Hon. Mukthar Umar and Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, the G-60 maintained that its position remained unchanged, stressing that there was no call for a new election or fresh nomination exercise.
According to the caucus, what is required is a transparent verification of signatures already submitted by members rather than reopening the process.
“The nomination of Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere was duly endorsed by an overwhelming majority of Minority members. Any concerns regarding individual endorsements can be addressed through a simple verification exercise,” the statement said.
The lawmakers urged the leadership of the House to respect the decision of the majority within the Minority Caucus and proceed with verifying the existing nominations.
They warned against any attempt to initiate a fresh process, insisting that doing so would undermine the democratic choice already made by members.
The leadership tussle continues to generate debate within the House, even as stakeholders call for a swift resolution to restore stability to the Minority leadership structure.
