House Of Representatives Names Fred Agbedi As New Minority Leader
The House of Representatives has announced a new minority leadership team, bringing to an end days of uncertainty and internal disagreements within the opposition caucus of the 10th National Assembly.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, made the announcement during Thursday’s plenary after reading a formal communication from minority members of the House.
Bayelsa lawmaker, Hon. Fred Agbedi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was named the new Minority Leader, replacing Hon. Kingsley Chinda following changes within the opposition bloc.
Also announced were Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Sokoto State, as Deputy Minority Leader, and Hon. Manu Soro of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Bauchi State, as Minority Whip.
Speaking during plenary, Speaker Tajudeen said the appointments were made in line with Order 7, Rule 7 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives (12th Edition), following a consensus reached by members of the minority caucus.
“By virtue of Order Seven Rule Seven of the Standing Orders, 12th Edition of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the minority members of the 10th Assembly have duly nominated the following members by consensus to fill the vacant positions of the minority in the Parliament,” the Speaker stated.
He subsequently announced Agbedi as Minority Leader, Soro as Minority Whip, and Dasuki as Deputy Minority Leader.
Congratulating the newly appointed principal officers, Tajudeen described their emergence as a significant step toward completing the leadership structure of the House.
“Today, the body of principal officers is complete, and I want to seize this opportunity on behalf of the whole House to congratulate the three people and wish them all the best in their new positions,” he said.
The Speaker also assured the new minority leadership of the cooperation and support of the House leadership in advancing the legislative agenda of the 10th Assembly.
“The leadership of the House will work with them seriously in ensuring that we achieve our legislative agenda objectives of this very important Assembly,” he added.
Following the announcement, several opposition lawmakers, including Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere of Imo State, joined the newly appointed principal officers at the Speaker’s Lobby to congratulate them and demonstrate unity within the minority caucus.
The development follows days of controversy surrounding the nomination of minority principal officers. An earlier move to nominate Ugochinyere as Minority Leader had sparked debate among lawmakers over the interpretation of House rules, particularly provisions relating to the required legislative experience for leadership positions.
During Wednesday’s plenary, Hon. Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun) drew attention to the Standing Orders of the House, arguing that only lawmakers who met the prescribed threshold of legislative experience were qualified to occupy principal offices.
The resolution of the dispute paved the way for a fresh consensus among opposition lawmakers, culminating in Thursday’s announcement and the emergence of a new minority leadership team.
The appointment is expected to strengthen cohesion within the opposition caucus as the House continues deliberations on key legislative matters before the 10th National Assembly. :::
