Senate in another rowdy session over minority leadership seats

**LP senator tackles Akpabio over minority leadership seats, querried if they are his slaves

***Akpabio asks minority to put its house in order

The Senate experienced another rowdy session on Tuesday after the announcement of two minority leaders by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip seats became vacant after 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 removed and Augustine Akobundu of the PDP declared as the authentic winner of the 25 February election in the senatorial district.

Last week, the PDP senators held a crucial meeting at the National Assembly complex Abuja preparatory for the replacements of the vacant 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 North Central geo political zone to produce the Minority Leader.

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

The Senate President indicated that the new minority leaders had the majority supports of their colleagues in the opposition.

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

The announcement did not go down well with other parties in the minority caucus especially the Labour Party.

The PDP maintains majority in the opposition with over 30 senators while Labour Party has seven. SDP and NNPP have two senators each and APGA one.

With the latest announcement, the PDP has taken three out of the four principal positions reserved for the minority parties.

Raising a point of order, Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu North), protested the absence of his party in the minority leadership, describing the arrangement as injustice against other minority parties.
“At the minority meeting from which we just came out of, Abba Moro was endorsed but the position of minority whip we agreed to schedule another meeting because the leadership has to be shared equitably.
“There is no way we have four leadership seats for minority in this Senate and the PDP will take three of the seats. The next Party is Labour Party with seven senators and we get nothing, that is unfair, that is unjust, that is unacceptable and is against the spirit of tge Nigerian Constitution
“How can the PDP take three minority leadership seats? This is unfair, unjust and unacceptable,” he said.
Ruling on the point of order, Akpabio said, “That is the PDP, If you were talking about the APC, I am sure they would have been fair and considerate. I am in total sympathy with the Labour Party,  I am in total sympathy with the minority party, SDP and others.

The Senate thereafter degenerated into a rowdy session with LP lawmakers rejecting the exclusion of their party in the minority leadership.

Amid the uproar, Senator Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North) accused Akpabio of picking minority leaders for the opposition parties.

“How can you be chosing minority leaders for us? Are we your slaves?” Nwoyi 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 majority of support. My job is not to work with individual opinion but with majority of position.”

“If you are about 48 or 49 and 30 people have signed, what is the magic that you said he should not be announced?
If you are 49 and 41 persons have signed for Abba Morro, what is the reason why you said the Senate President should not announce? The majority have agreed.

“The majority have signed, and some are still signing, but not all of you have signed for Abba Moro, but he already has the majority. It would be unfair for me to ignore the majority signatures and refuse to announce senator Moro as your minority leader for now, at the same time it would also be unfair for me to see somebody who actually is in the majority, what he actually need is 24 or 25 senators and he has up to 30 and I will not announce him.

“No matter your personal observations, I just want to plead with my colleagues to understand that my job here is not to take individual’s opinion or to work what some want but to work on the bases of truth.
Despite Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi) effort to convince Akpabio to stay action on the seat of the minority whip failed as the Senate President ruled him out of order.

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