The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session on Thursday after a lawmaker, Rep. Philip Agbese, denied endorsing Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere for the position of Minority Leader
The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session on Thursday after a lawmaker, Rep. Philip Agbese, denied endorsing Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere for the position of Minority Leader,
He alleged that his signature was forged on a nomination document circulating online.
The controversy erupted during plenary when the deputy spokesperson of the House, Rep. Agbese, raised a matter of personal privilege, claiming that his legislative rights had been breached through the alleged misuse of his signature.
The dispute is linked to efforts by opposition lawmakers to fill the Minority Leader position vacated by Rep. Kingsley Chinda following his emergence as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
Drawing the attention of the House to the document, Rep. Agbese said he was shocked to discover his name among lawmakers purportedly backing Ugochinyere‘s emergence as Minority Leader.
“My attention was drawn to a document on the internet with my name, reportedly nominating a member of this House for the post of Minority Leader,” he said.
While acknowledging that he had held discussions with Rep. Ugochinyere on issues affecting opposition lawmakers, Rep. Agbese insisted the meetings had nothing to do with endorsing him for any leadership position.
“Before this time, in line with our fraternal relationship in this House, I conversed, deliberated and visited many members of this House. One of the persons I had such discussions with was my colleague, Honourable Ikenga Ugochinyere.
“Our discussion was basically centred on the welfare of members of the minority and the issue of the executive not adhering to certain issues on our constituency projects.
“So I am at a loss, and I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery of my signature to be used for purposes that were not intended,” he said.
Agbese called on the House to investigate the matter and halt any further use of his name in connection with the campaign for Minority Leader.
“Mr Speaker, I also want to pray this Honourable House to stop Honourable Ikenga and members of his team or his agents or anybody acting on his behalf from further maligning my name,” he added.
He further alleged that reports circulating on social media claimed lawmakers received $50,000 each to endorse Ugochinyere’s bid, a claim that heightened tensions in the chamber.
Responding, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas urged members not to debate the matter further on the floor, describing it as an internal issue that should be resolved within the opposition caucus.
“I don’t want us to debate this matter on the floor further. It is something within the family to discuss and make a decision appropriately,” Abbas said, adding that he would meet with opposition lawmakers later in the day.
However, the Speaker’s intervention failed to calm the situation.
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Rep. Billy Osawaru invoked Order 6 Rule 2 of the House Standing Orders and urged the speaker to refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
“Mr. Speaker, the issue that has been raised today is criminal. Not only criminal, Mr. Speaker, it is a very, very serious and sensitive issue,” Rep. Osawaru said.
He warned that the allegations could have serious consequences for members of the chamber if left unresolved.
“No matter the solutions we are trying to provide, this matter should also be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges so that the right things can be done,” he added.
Responding, Speaker Abbas acknowledged the concerns raised but insisted that the claims must first be verified by him before any formal action could be taken.
“It’s all part of the options, but I need to really investigate and confirm the claims made by our dear brother,” the speaker said.
“Let’s get the documents and let’s verify and investigate and confirm first beyond reasonable doubt that there is a case to answer. And thereafter, we’ll do the deed.”
Another lawmaker, Rep. Ojema Ojotu from Benue State, also appealed for calm and backed calls for a committee investigation.
“For the issue that was raised by these two colleagues of ours, I think it would be nice if you referred the matter to the committee to investigate instead of you doing it on a personal note,” Ojotu said.
“I think the committee would be in the best place to do that investigation and find out the authenticity of that issue and solve it adequately so that there should be orderliness in this house.”
Despite repeated appeals for restraint, some lawmakers openly protested, chanting in disagreement and further disrupting proceedings.
The drama intensified when Rep. Ugochinyere rose to reject Agbese‘s allegations, describing them as false and defamatory.
According to him, Rep. Agbese personally attended the meeting where opposition lawmakers endorsed his candidacy and willingly signed the nomination document.
“Honourable Agbese attended the meeting and independently appended his signature to my nomination for the office of Minority Leader,” Rep. Ugochinyere said.
He accused Rep. Agbese of attempting to blackmail and discredit him, maintaining that he could produce witnesses who saw the lawmaker sign the endorsement document.
But Agbese immediately rejected the claim, insisting he neither attended the meeting nor signed any nomination paper.
His rebuttal triggered another round of uproar, forcing the speaker to spend more than 15 minutes restoring order in the chamber.
After calm was eventually restored, Rep. Awaji-Inombek Abiante cautioned against treating the exchanges as official House business, arguing that no minority leader had been formally presented by the opposition caucus.
“I want it placed on record that all comments regarding the election of a Minority Leader should be expunged from the records of the House because the matter is not before us,” Rep. Abiante said.
“The minority caucus will formally present its leader to the House at the appropriate time. Until then, whatever has been said remains a personal opinion.”
The debate took another turn when Rep. Bob Solomon blamed the crisis on what he described as the House’s tolerance of conduct that had undermined parliamentary traditions.
Invoking Order 6 of the House Rules on privileges, Solomon said, “What you are seeing here, what has happened now, the continuous votes and ambition of Ugochinyere is as a result of this House’s tolerance of the kind of chicanery that it has brought to this House.”
He argued that there were more experienced lawmakers within the opposition caucus who should be considered for the minority leader position ahead of newer members.
“We have members from the same caucus of minorities who are nine, 15, 10, 12 years here. Ikenga Ugochinyere’s claim is a non-starter,” Rep. Solomon said.
He further contended that Rep. Ugochinyere‘s emergence would depart from established parliamentary conventions.
“Conventionally, all over the world, it’s never done. We cannot copy the unbearable behaviour of the 8th Assembly and bring it here,” he added.
Parliament Reports notes that Rep. Ugochinyere is a first-term member of the House of Representatives, elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and recently defected to the Action Peoples Party (APP).
