The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday said it has rejected the attempt by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to impose minority leaders in the House of Representatives.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party said it had duly written to the Speaker of the House after consultations with other minority members, notifying him of members that had been selected for leadership positions in line with dictates of the rules and parliamentary practice.
The statement read in part, “However, to our utter dismay, the PDP had discovered that the Speaker attempted to smuggle in names other than those recognized and forwarded to him as the leaders of the Minority in the House of Representatives.”
“The PDP, in the strongest terms, cautions against this abuse of rules, parliamentary practices and procedures as well as the convention and we urge the Speaker to respect the rules and read the list submitted to him by the leadership of the PDP.”
Earlier on Wednesday, many members of the opposition PDP protested vehemently on the floor of the house session at the House following the announcement of minority leadership positions.
The protest broke out after Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, ignored a list by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in which Kingsley Chinda was nominated as the Minority Leader of the House and chosed another list submitted by lawmakers from all the other opposition parties in the house.
Subsequently, Ndudi Elumelu emerged as the minority leader, a development that did not go down well with some aggrieved lawmakers who attempted cease the mace.
According to the aggrieved lawmakers, a situation where the majority in the house imposes a minority leader on members will not be accepted.
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