By Samuel Akpan
Shouting matches and finger-pointing erupted in the House of Representatives on Thursday as a forgery allegation exposed deep divisions within the minority caucus.
The chaos began after a lawmaker accused a colleague of forging his signature to boost a bid for the chamber’s top opposition post.
Rising on a point of personal privilege during plenary, Philip Agbese (APC-Benue) expressed shock over a nomination document circulating online that listed him as endorsing Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP-Imo) for Minority Leader.
Agbese, who represents the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, clarified that while he had discussed constituency projects and minority caucus issues with Ugochinyere, he never signed any document backing the Imo lawmaker’s leadership ambition.
“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery of my signature to be used for purposes for which it was not intended,” he told the House.
He called on the leadership to investigate and stop what he described as efforts by Ugochinyere and his associates to tarnish his reputation.
Agbese also dismissed social media reports claiming some lawmakers were offered $50,000 to back a particular candidate in the leadership contest.
“My constituents have been calling me. I have not received any amount of money from anybody and I will not do so. This is my integrity,” he declared.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen acknowledged the complaint and promised it would be looked into.
He, however, urged members to avoid turning the matter into a prolonged floor debate, revealing he had already scheduled a closed-door meeting of all minority lawmakers for 2 p.m. that same day.
“We will take action on the issue you have raised in due course. However, I want to again bring to the attention of all minority members that I am inviting every minority member of this House to a closed-door meeting today by 2 p.m. so that we can discuss further,” the Speaker said.
Ugochinyere immediately sought permission to reply, insisting he could not let allegations made on the floor and in live broadcasts go unchallenged.
He denied forging Agbese’s signature and maintained that the Benue lawmaker had personally signed the nomination form in the presence of other lawmakers who could vouch for what happened.
His explanation triggered loud protests from Agbese, who repeatedly shouted “I never did that!”
The chamber quickly descended into a shouting match between rival camps, forcing the Speaker to intervene repeatedly and call for order while some members tried to calm the situation.
Despite the uproar, Ugochinyere stood his grounds and claimed strong backing among opposition members.
“I understand that at the moment, the overwhelming majority of 61 members out of 81 opposition members elected me. It may not go down well with some people, but I never expected that their desperation would get to this level,” he said.
He labelled the forgery allegation “a treacherous lie” and vowed to produce witnesses who were present when the document was signed.
Before order was fully restored, another lawmaker raised a point of order, arguing that Ugochinyere’s claim of having been elected by opposition members should be struck from the records because the issue was not properly before the House.
The member stressed that only the opposition caucus could officially decide and communicate its leadership to the chamber; any declaration made during plenary remained a personal opinion.
The confrontation unfolded against a backdrop of uncertainty in the opposition caucus following the controversial defection of former Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda to the All Progressives Congress, where he plans to contest the Rivers State governorship in 2027.
Ugochinyere’s rising profile as one of the most vocal critics of government policies has helped him gain traction among sections of opposition lawmakers.
The contest has also been shaped by the ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, which has weakened old power structures and created space for new alliances.
Sources within the House said a significant number of opposition lawmakers are pushing for a leadership arrangement that reflects the current political realities in the chamber rather than relying solely on traditional party hierarchies.
Rival camps continue to claim majority support ahead of any formal announcement.
The outcome of the Speaker’s closed-door meeting with minority members is now expected to determine the final shape of the opposition leadership and set the direction for the minority caucus in the Green Chamber.