A fierce battle for the leadership of the opposition caucus in the House of Representatives erupted into a dramatic confrontation on Thursday, as lawmakers engaged in a heated exchange over allegations of forgery, blackmail and attempts to influence the race for the position of Minority Leader.
The rowdy session underscored growing divisions within the opposition bloc, where rival camps are locked in a struggle for control of key leadership positions following recent realignments among opposition lawmakers.
The drama began during plenary when the member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, Mr Philip Agbese, raised a matter of personal privilege, accusing fellow lawmaker and member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, of using his signature without authorisation in a document purportedly nominating him for the office of Minority Leader.
Agbese told the House he was stunned to discover a nomination document circulating online bearing his name and signature in support of Ugochinyere’s aspiration.
According to him, although he had engaged in discussions with several lawmakers, including Ugochinyere, on issues affecting minority lawmakers and constituency projects, he never signed any document endorsing the Imo lawmaker.
“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery of my signature to be used for purposes for which it was not intended,” Agbese said.
He urged the House leadership to investigate the matter and halt what he described as sustained attempts by Ugochinyere and his associates to damage his reputation.
The Benue lawmaker also rejected reports circulating on social media alleging that some lawmakers received $50,000 to support a candidate in the minority leadership contest.
“My constituents have been calling me. I have not received any amount of money from anybody and I will not do so. This is my integrity,” he declared.
Responding, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen acknowledged the complaint and assured Agbese that the allegations would be examined.
The Speaker, however, appealed to members not to prolong the dispute on the floor, revealing that he had convened a closed-door meeting of minority lawmakers for later in the day to address the leadership crisis.
“We will take action on the issue you have raised in due course. However, I want to again bring to the attention of all minority members that I am inviting every minority member of this House to a closed-door meeting today by 2 p.m. so that we can discuss further,” Abbas said.
The situation escalated when Ugochinyere sought permission to respond, insisting that allegations levelled against him during plenary and on a live broadcast could not be ignored.
The outspoken opposition lawmaker categorically denied forging Agbese’s signature, maintaining that the Benue lawmaker personally endorsed his nomination form.
According to Ugochinyere, Agbese arrived at a meeting venue and voluntarily signed the document in the presence of several lawmakers who could testify to what transpired.
His remarks immediately provoked loud protests from Agbese, who repeatedly interrupted him, shouting: “I never did that!”
The chamber descended into a shouting match as lawmakers from both camps exchanged words, forcing the Speaker to repeatedly call for order while some members moved to calm tensions.
Despite the uproar, Ugochinyere insisted that his bid enjoyed overwhelming support among opposition lawmakers.
“I understand that at the moment, the overwhelming majority of 61 members out of 81 opposition members elected me. It may not go down well with some people, but I never expected that their desperation would get to this level,” he said.
He described the forgery allegation as “a treacherous lie” and vowed to produce witnesses who were present when the nomination document was signed.
The Speaker again intervened, urging lawmakers to suspend further exchanges and allow the matter to be resolved at the caucus meeting.
Before calm could return fully, another lawmaker who could not be identified raised a point of order, arguing that Ugochinyere’s claim of being elected by opposition lawmakers should be expunged from the official records because the matter was not formally before the House.
The member argued that only the opposition caucus could officially determine and communicate its leadership to the House, stressing that any declaration made during plenary amounted to a personal opinion.
The confrontation comes amid heightened uncertainty over the leadership of the opposition caucus in the House following the political upheaval that has engulfed the Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition parties since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
Kingsley Chinda who until recently was the House Minority Leader, controversially defected to the All Progressives Congress , on whose platform he intends to run for the governorship of Rivers State in 2027.
Ugochinyere’s growing visibility as one of the most vocal opposition figures in the National Assembly, coupled with his active role in defending opposition interests and challenging government policies, has boosted support for his candidacy among sections of opposition lawmakers.
His emergence has also been linked to the continuing leadership crisis within the PDP, which has weakened traditional power blocs and created openings for new alliances within the opposition caucus.
Sources within the House say a significant number of opposition lawmakers have been pushing for a leadership arrangement that reflects the changing political dynamics in the chamber rather than relying solely on party hierarchies.
The contest has consequently exposed sharp divisions among opposition lawmakers, with rival camps claiming majority support and seeking recognition ahead of an official pronouncement by the Speaker.
Thursday’s confrontation highlighted the intensity of the struggle, as accusations and counter-accusations spilled onto the floor of the House in an unusually public display of disagreement.
The outcome of the Speaker’s closed-door meeting with minority lawmakers is expected to play a critical role in determining the eventual composition of the opposition leadership and the future direction of the minority caucus in the Green Chamber. – Punch.
