The G-60 Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has dismissed reports suggesting that it is seeking a fresh process for the emergence of a new Minority Leader, insisting that its position on the nomination of Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere remains unchanged.
The caucus said it has not withdrawn Ugochinyere’s nomination and is only asking for a transparent verification of signatures already submitted by lawmakers in support of his candidacy.
In a statement issued on Saturday and jointly signed by Hon. Mukthar Umar and Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, the group clarified that it was not demanding another election or a new round of nominations.
According to the lawmakers, the request before the leadership of the House is simply to confirm the authenticity of the signatures attached to the nomination document following concerns raised by some members.
The caucus recalled that 61 out of the 81 members of the Minority Caucus endorsed Ugochinyere to occupy the position left vacant after the resignation of former Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda.
Chinda had stepped down from the role after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and later emerging as the ruling party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State.
The latest clarification came after Labour Party lawmaker, Hon. Philip Agbese, reportedly told the House during Thursday’s plenary that he did not support Ugochinyere’s nomination.
The development was said to have prompted Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to meet with Minority lawmakers, with discussions allegedly focusing on the possibility of beginning a fresh process for the selection of the Minority Leader.
However, the G-60 Caucus maintained that there was no basis for restarting the exercise.
“We are not calling for a new election or fresh nomination process. Rather, we are requesting a transparent verification of the signatures and nominations already submitted by members of the Minority Caucus,” the statement said.
The lawmakers argued that Ugochinyere already enjoys the backing of the majority of Minority members and that any disagreement over endorsements can easily be settled through a verification exercise.
“The nomination of Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere was duly endorsed by an overwhelming majority of Minority members, and any concerns regarding individual endorsements can be resolved through a straightforward verification exercise,” the statement added.
The caucus also appealed to the leadership of the House of Representatives to respect what it described as the democratic decision of the majority of Minority lawmakers.
“We therefore urge the leadership of the House to respect the democratic decision of the majority of Minority members and proceed with the verification of the existing nominations instead of initiating a new process,” the statement added.