You Can’t Impose Minority Leadership On Reps, PDP Tells Gbajiabiamila

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected what it said was the attempt by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to impose leaders for the main opposition party in the House of Representatives.

The party has now announced all its choices for minority leadership in the green chamber.

A statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary gave the names as Hon. Kingsley Chinda (Minority Leader), Hon. Chukwuka Onyema (Deputy Minority Leader), Hon. Yakubu Barde (Minority Whip) and Hon. Muraina Ajibola (Deputy Minority Whip).

The statement added: “It is instructive to state that the PDP had duly written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after consultation with other minority members in the House of Representatives, notifying him of members that have been selected for leadership position in the House of Representatives, in line with dictates of the rules and parliamentary practice.

“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.“