•House of Representatives
The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session today following a dispute over the endorsement of Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere as Minority Leader by opposition lawmakers.
The controversy stemmed from a document circulating among lawmakers indicating that 61 of the 81 opposition members in the House had endorsed the Imo lawmaker to replace former Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, who recently resigned after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), reports Daily Trust.
The session became heated when Hon. Philip Agbese, representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, raised a matter of privilege, alleging that his signature was forged on the endorsement document.
Agbese told the House that he became aware of the document yesterday evening when it surfaced online with his name listed among lawmakers who nominated Ugochinyere for the minority leadership position.
He said although he had engaged in discussions with several lawmakers, including Ugochinyere, on issues concerning minority members and constituency projects, he never endorsed any candidate for the position.
“Yesterday at about 6 p.m., my attention was drawn to a document on the internet with my name purportedly nominating a member of this House for the post of Minority Leader,” he said.
The Benue lawmaker maintained that he had not met with Ugochinyere since December 2025 and described the use of his signature as a breach of his legislative privilege.
“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery for my signature to be used for purposes which were not intended,” he said.
Agbese urged the House leadership to investigate the matter and prevent further use of his name in connection with the endorsement campaign.
He also dismissed social media reports alleging that he and other lawmakers whose names appeared on the list received $50,000 each to support Ugochinyere’s bid.
“I have not received any amount of money from anybody and I will not do so. This is my integrity,” he said.
The allegation triggered uproar in the chamber as lawmakers shouted across the aisle and attempted to raise points of order simultaneously.
Contributing to the debate, Hon. Billy Osawaru, representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency of Edo State, described the allegation as grave and criminal, urging Speaker Abbas Tajudeen to refer the matter to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
“The issue that has been raised today is criminal. Not only criminal, it is a very serious and sensitive issue,” Osawaru said.
“An issue like this should be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges. No matter the solutions we are trying to provide, the right thing should be done.”
Responding, Speaker Abbas said the House would first verify the claims before taking any action.
“We need to investigate and confirm the claims made by our dear brother. Let us verify and investigate. First, let’s confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that there is a case to answer, and thereafter we will do the needful,” he said.
Ugochinyere, who was subsequently allowed to make a personal explanation, rejected the allegation and insisted that Agbese personally visited his office and signed the nomination form voluntarily.
“My colleague, Agbese, made some weighty allegations before every member here and today on live transmission,” he said.
“My brother arrived from Benue, met me in the office in the presence of some of my colleagues and voluntarily, on his own and independently, pledged and signed my nomination for the post of Minority Leader.”
He described the forgery allegation as false and defamatory, adding that lawmakers who witnessed the signing were prepared to testify before the Speaker.
Ugochinyere said his endorsement by 61 opposition lawmakers reflected the position of the majority within the minority caucus and suggested that some interests were uncomfortable with the development.
“I understand that at the moment an overwhelming majority of 61 members out of 81 opposition members selected me. It may not go down well with some people, but I never expected that their desperation would get to this level,” he said.
As tensions rose, Speaker Abbas repeatedly appealed for calm and cautioned members against escalating the matter on the floor.
“Please, honourable colleagues, let us not overheat this issue,” he said.
The Speaker noted that the leadership issue was primarily an internal affair of the opposition caucus and disclosed that all minority lawmakers had been invited to a closed-door meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. today.
“Your observations and complaints are duly noted. We will take action on the issue you have raised in due course,” Abbas told Agbese.
“I don’t want us to further debate on this matter on the floor. It’s something within the family for us to discuss and take a decision appropriately.”
The minority leadership position became vacant following Chinda’s resignation after his defection to the APC, sparking intense consultations among opposition lawmakers over his successor.
The closed-door meeting is expected to determine the next step in the leadership contest and address the allegations surrounding the endorsement document.
