LP senators kick as Senate appoints Abba Moro as minority leader

There was a rowdy session in the Senate on Tuesday, November 21, following the appointment of Senator Abba Moro as Minority Leader and Senator Osita Ngwu as Minority Whip by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

However, the Labour Party (LP) senators kicked against the appointments, saying out of the four minority positions for Principal Officers, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now occupies three with the remaining position going to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Senator Moro and Ngwu are of the PDP. The Deputy Minority Leader, Oyewunmi Olarere is also of the PDP.

The seats of the Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip became vacant after the Court of Appeal sacked the former occupants, Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP-Plateau North) and Darlington Nwokocha (LP-Abia Central) respectively.

The appellate court nullified the election of Mwadkwon and ordered a rerun while Nwokocha was sacked and replaced by Senator Augustine Akobundu of the PDP by the Appeal Court.

The PDP senators had, last week, held a crucial meeting at the National Assembly Complex Abuja on the choice of replacements for the position of principal positions of Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip.

Senator Garba Maidoki (PDP, Bauchi), who briefed journalists after the closed-door meeting, had said the opposition lawmakers settled for the North Central geo-political zone to produce the Minority Leader.

During Tuesday’s plenary, Akpabio announced the duo of Abba Moro (PDP – Benue South) as minority leader and Osita Ngwu (PDP – Enugu West) as minority whip.

The Senate President said the new minority leaders had the majority support of their colleagues in the opposition.

He said 41 minority senators signed the document endorsing Abba Moro as minority leader while 30 backed Ngwu for the minority whip seat.

The Labour Party now with six senators kicked against the development, saying the position that was earlier ceded to the caucus has now been taken over by the PDP.

Citing a point of order, Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP – Enugu North), protested the absence of his party in the minority leadership, describing the arrangement as an injustice against other minority parties.

“How can the PDP take three minority leadership seats? This is unfair, unjust and unacceptable,” he said.

Following the point of order by Senator Okechukwu, the chamber became rowdy with LP lawmakers vehemently rejecting the exclusion of their party from the position of principal officer.

Amid the uproar, Senator Tony Nwoye (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?” Nwoye tackled the Senate President.

Lawmakers from the ruling party made frantic efforts to pacify their colleagues from LP, some of whom approached Akpabio for consultation.

After about 15 minutes of rowdy session, the Senate President addressed the opposition lawmakers and dismissed the claim of his interfering in the affairs of the opposition.

Akpabio said 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.

He, therefore, urged the opposition caucus to always put their house in order before forwarding any name to him.

He said: “All we need to produce a leader is a simple majority. What’s the reason for not agreeing with the position of the majority?

“41 minority senators signed for Abba Moro and 30 signed for Osita Ngwu. They have the majority. It will be unfair for me not to announce them after getting the majority of support. My job is not to work with individual opinion but with the majority of position.”

Efforts by Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP – Kebbi Central) to convince Akpabio to stay in action on the seat of the minority whip failed as the Senate President ruled him out of order.

Aliero had explained that the opposition caucus resolved that Abba Moro should be the minority leader but was yet to decide on the position of the minority whip “because the leadership has to be shared equitably.”

But Akpabio referred him to Senate Standing Rule 52(6), which provides that it shall be out of order for any senator to speak on any issue that has already been decided.

Akpabio, therefore, ruled Aliero out of order.