REPS INVESTIGATE PARALLEL MINORITY CAUCUS

The House of Representatives has mandated its committee on ethics and privileges to investigate a matter of privilege brought before it by a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Delta State, Ben Igbakpa.

Mr. Ogbakpa raised a concern on Wednesday that Kingsley Chinda and three other lawmakers were parading themselves as PDP caucus leaders.

The three others are Chukwuka Onyema, Umar Barde and Muraina Ajibola.

Mr. Chinda and his group have recently released at least three statements on behalf of the PDP caucus of the house.

The deputy speaker, Idris Wade, who presided over the plenary, mandated the committee to investigate the matter and report back to the house.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, few months back named Ndudi Elumelu as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

The announcement caused confusion in the parliament as the PDP, which is the largest minority party in the House, had nominated Kingsley Chinda for the position.

Other nominees by the PDP for other minority positions were also rejected by Mr Gbajabiamila.

The PDP had nominated Chukwuka Onyema as Deputy Minority Leader, Yakubu Barde as Minority Whip and Muraina Ajibola as Deputy Minority Whip.

Mr Gbajabiamila, instead, named Toby Okechukwu as Minority Leader, Gideon Gwani as Minority Whip and Adesegun Adekoya as Deputy Minority Whip.

Both Messrs Elumelu and Chinda are PDP members.

The PDP Board of Trustees had mandated a committee to look into the minority leadership crisis that has rocked the PDP caucus. But that committee was later accused of corruption by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; an allegation denied by the board.