Ugochinyere’s Minority Leader Bid Suffers Setback As House Adopts New Rule On Principal Officers

The ambition of the member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, to become Minority Leader of the House of Representatives has suffered a major setback after the House adopted a fresh interpretation of the experience required for lawmakers to occupy principal offices.

Naija News reports that the House, on Wednesday, June 10, resolved that only members who have completed at least one full four-year term in the House of Representatives are qualified to be appointed as principal officers.

The decision followed the consideration and adoption of a motion sponsored by the member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Babajimi Benson, during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.

The Minority Leader position became vacant following the defection of the former occupant, Kingsley Chinda, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his subsequent emergence as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Rivers State.

Ugochinyere, who was first elected into the House in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before later defecting to the Action Peoples Party, is currently serving his first term in the National Assembly.

The new interpretation of the rule means the Imo lawmaker is no longer eligible to contest or be appointed to the Minority Leader position in the current 10th Assembly.

Ugochinyere’s push for the Minority Leader seat had gained momentum last week after 61 lawmakers reportedly endorsed him for the position.

The endorsement, however, sparked controversy within the House, with allegations of forged signatures and claims of financial inducement emerging from different quarters.

Amid the tension, Benson moved a motion titled, “Need for a precise definition of Order Seven, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.”

The Lagos lawmaker said there was a need for the House to clearly define what constitutes “cognate legislative experience” for the purpose of appointing principal officers.

Explaining the motion, Benson said Order Seven, Rule 15 of the House Standing Orders provides that only lawmakers with cognate legislative experience as members of the House of Representatives shall be eligible for appointment as principal officers.

He argued that parliamentary practice across the world favours experienced lawmakers for leadership positions because such experience helps preserve institutional memory and strengthens legislative stability.

According to him, global parliamentary best practices “rule out first-term parliamentarians from holding Principal Offices and reserve Principal Offices for experienced legislators to promote institutional memory, deepen understanding of legislative processes, and enhance competence in constitutional interpretation and intergovernmental relations.”

Benson also cited the recent action of the Senate, saying the upper chamber had specifically defined “cognate legislative experience” to mean senators who had completed at least one full four-year term.

He added, “The 10th Senate has recently specifically defined ‘cognate legislative experience’ to mean ‘Senators who have completed at least one full four-year term,’” adding that “those with multiple previous terms must have served in the immediate past Assembly.”

The lawmaker said the House needed to take a similar position in order to “prioritise institutional memory, deepen parliamentary stability and continuity, legislative experience, minimise avoidable turbulence and promote matured representation in the comity of international parliamentary associations.”

The motion was seconded by the member representing Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Peter Uzokwe.

Uzokwe, however, attempted to introduce an amendment after seconding the motion, but the Speaker ruled him out of order on the grounds that the question had already been put and voted on by members.

After adopting the motion, the House resolved that cognate legislative experience, as provided for under Order Seven, Rule 15 of its Standing Orders, means “members who have completed at least one full four-year term.”

The lawmakers also declared “that there is no other definition to the term ‘cognate legislative experience’ other than as stated.”

Shortly after the resolution was adopted, the member representing Abua/Odual and Ahoada East Federal Constituency of Rivers State, Solomon Bob, raised a point of order, arguing that the motion was unnecessary.

Bob said the House risked restricting the Speaker’s power to interpret its rules.

“Mr Speaker, this motion is not necessary. We are, in fact, restricting your powers to interpret our rules,” Bob said.

Responding, Abbas acknowledged the concern but said he was comfortable with the House taking a collective position on the matter.

“I understand, but I cede that power to the House,” the Speaker replied.