Tension flared within the Senate chambers as the announcement of new minority leaders sparked uproar among lawmakers on Tuesday during plenary.
The Punch reports that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, faced opposition from LP senators over the appointment of minority leaders following vacancies left by the Court of Appeal’s rulings.
It would be recalled that the removal of former Senate Minority Leader Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon of PDP from Plateau state and Minority Whip Darlington Nwokocha of LP from Abia state led to the vacated positions.
The court nullified Mwadkwon’s election, ordering a rerun, while Nwokocha was replaced by Augustine Akobundu of the PDP as the rightful winner in the senatorial district’s February 25 election.
Ahead of the announcement, PDP senators had convened to decide on replacements, choosing Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) as the minority leader and Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) as the minority whip, asserting majority support from 41 and 30 senators, respectively.
The exclusion of other minority parties, particularly LP, triggered objections within the Senate. Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu North) protested the imbalance in the allocation of minority leadership positions, calling it unfair and unacceptable.
The Senate descended into a chaotic session, with LP lawmakers disputing their party’s omission in the minority leadership structure.
Senator Tony Nwoyi (LP, Anambra North) accused Akpabio of imposing minority leaders on them, eliciting strong reactions from LP and ruling party members attempting to diffuse tensions.
Akpabio defended the appointments, asserting that he merely announced names presented by the opposition caucus, stressing the importance of respecting the majority’s choice.
Amid objections, attempts by Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi) to halt proceedings on the minority whip seat were rejected, as the Senate President cited established rules against reconsidering decided issues.
The tumultuous session concluded with Akpabio urging the opposition to reach an internal consensus before presenting nominations for consideration, emphasizing that majority support determines leadership positions in the Senate.
