House of Reps Minority Leaders Disown Lawmakers in Anti-Party Move

The minority leaders of the House of Representatives, representing various opposition parties, have publicly disowned a group of 60 lawmakers who recently called for the resignation of the Peoples Democratic Party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum. The dissident lawmakers, operating under the banner of the Coalition of Opposition Lawmakers, demanded Damagum’s resignation due to alleged anti-party activities. They threatened to leave the PDP if their demands were not met, advocating for the appointment of a new acting chairman from the North Central region, the same zone as the suspended National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu. In response, the Minority Leader and other key figures within the minority caucus issued a statement denouncing the actions of the Ikenga Ugochinyere-led coalition. They emphasized that the coalition was not recognized within the parliament and distanced themselves from the group’s demands. The statement condemned the group’s behavior as unparliamentary and urged them to refrain from spreading misinformation. The absence of prominent figure Kingsley Chinda at the coalition’s briefing further highlighted existing tensions within the party, particularly in relation to the power struggle between Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalaiye Fubara in Rivers State. It is important to note that the views expressed by the dissident lawmakers do not reflect those of the minority parties, and efforts to sow discord within the party are strongly condemned. The minority leaders and the PDP caucus remain united in their commitment to upholding party unity and integrity amidst internal challenges.