There was a mild drama at the Senate on Tuesday after Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced two senate minority leaders.
The Minority positions became vacant after the Court of Appeal sacked the Minority leader, Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North) and Minority Whip, Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central) respectively.
The Appeal courts had nullified the election of Mwadkwon and ordered a rerun.
Nwokocha of LP was sacked with Augustine Akobundu of the PDP declared as the authentic winner of the 25 February election in the senatorial district.
The PDP senators last week, held an emergency crucial meeting on the replacement for the principal positions of Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip.
Senator Garba Maidoki (PDP, Bauchi), on behalf of the opposition lawmakers said they settled for the North Central geo-political zone to produce the Minority Leader.
Senate President Akpabio had during Tuesday’s plenary, announced Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) as minority leader and Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) as minority whip.
Akpabio said the new minority leaders had the majority support of their colleagues in the opposition.
According to Akpabio, 41 minority senators signed the document endorsing Moro as minority leader while 30 backed Ngwu for the minority whip seat.
But the announcement did not sit well with the Labour Party caucus.
Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu North), while raising a point of order, protested the absence of the Labour Party in the minority leadership, describing the arrangement as an injustice against other minority parties.
In his words:
“How can the PDP take three minority leadership seats? This is unfair, unjust, and unacceptable,” he said.
His outburst erupted a rowdy session in the Senate with LP lawmakers rejecting their party’s exclusion in the minority leadership.
Senator Tony Nwoyi (LP, Anambra North) accused Akpabio of picking minority leaders for the opposition parties.
“How can you be choosing minority leaders for us? Are we your slaves?” Nwoyi tackled the Senate President.
After about 15 minutes of rowdy session, Akpabio addressed the opposition lawmakers and dismissed the claim he is interfering in the affairs of the opposition.
According to Akpabio, he only announced the names forwarded to him by the opposition caucus and that it would be unfair not to respect the voice of the majority.
The Senate President urged the opposition caucus to always put their house in order before forwarding any name to him.
“All we need to produce a leader is a simple majority. What’s the reason for not agreeing with the position of the majority?” Akpabio rhetorically asked.
“41 minority senators signed for Abah Moro and 30 signed for Osita Ngwu. They have the majority. It will be unfair for me not to announce them after getting a majority of support. My job is not to work with individual opinion but with the majority of positions.
