A HEATED dispute over the leadership of the opposition caucus disrupted proceedings in the House of Representatives on Thursday as lawmakers engaged in a public confrontation over allegations of forgery and attempts to influence the race for the position of Minority Leader.
News Point Nigeria reports that the drama unfolded during plenary when the member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, Hon. Philip Agbese, raised a matter of personal privilege and accused fellow lawmaker, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, of using his signature without authorisation in a document purportedly nominating him for the office of Minority Leader.
Agbese told the House that he was shocked to discover a document circulating online bearing his name and signature in support of Ugochinyere’s bid for the opposition leadership position.
According to him, although he had held discussions with several lawmakers, including Ugochinyere, on issues affecting minority lawmakers and constituency projects, he never endorsed any nomination document.
“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery for my signature to be used for purposes for which it was not intended,” Agbese said.
The Benue lawmaker urged the House leadership to investigate the matter and halt what he described as attempts by Ugochinyere and his associates to tarnish his reputation.
Agbese also dismissed reports circulating on social media alleging that some lawmakers received $50,000 to support a particular candidate for the Minority Leader position.
“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.
Responding to the concerns raised, Speaker of the House, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, acknowledged Agbese’s complaints and assured him that the matter would receive due attention.
The Speaker, however, appealed to lawmakers not to prolong the debate and disclosed that he had scheduled a closed-door meeting of minority lawmakers later in the day to address the leadership dispute.
“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,” Abbas said.
The situation took a dramatic turn when Ugochinyere sought the Speaker’s permission to make a personal explanation, insisting that allegations made against him both on the floor of the House and during a live broadcast could not be ignored.
The lawmaker representing Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State firmly denied the forgery allegation, maintaining that Agbese personally signed the nomination form supporting his aspiration for the Minority Leader position.
According to Ugochinyere, Agbese voluntarily endorsed the nomination document during a meeting attended by several lawmakers who could testify to what transpired.
His remarks immediately triggered strong protests from Agbese, who repeatedly interrupted him.
“I never did that!” Agbese shouted as the exchange intensified.
The disagreement quickly degenerated into a shouting match, with lawmakers from both camps joining the argument and exchanging words across the chamber.
The development forced Speaker Abbas to repeatedly call for order while some members moved to calm tempers and restore normal proceedings.
Despite the uproar, Ugochinyere insisted that his aspiration enjoyed the backing of the majority of opposition lawmakers in the House.
“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 further described the forgery allegation as “a treacherous lie” and vowed to produce witnesses who were present when the nomination document was allegedly signed.
As tensions continued to rise, Speaker Abbas again intervened and urged lawmakers to refrain from further exchanges, insisting that the matter would be addressed during the scheduled meeting of opposition members.
Before calm could fully return to the chamber, another lawmaker raised a point of order, challenging Ugochinyere’s claim that he had already been elected by opposition lawmakers.
The member argued that such a statement should be expunged from the House records since the issue was not formally before the chamber.
According to the lawmaker, only the opposition caucus has the authority to officially determine and present its leadership to the House, stressing that any declaration made on the floor amounted to a personal opinion.
The latest confrontation highlights deepening divisions within the opposition caucus as rival camps continue to battle for strategic minority leadership positions ahead of an official announcement by the Speaker.
Political observers say the dispute reflects growing tensions within the opposition bloc and could have significant implications for its cohesion and effectiveness in the Green Chamber.
With tempers flaring and competing claims emerging from different camps, attention has now shifted to the outcome of the closed-door meeting convened by Speaker Abbas.