A heated dispute over the opposition caucus leadership led to a minority leadership tussle that disrupted plenary proceedings in the House of Representatives on Thursday, as lawmakers clashed over allegations of forgery and competing claims to the Minority Leader position.
The confrontation unfolded during plenary when the lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, Philip Agbese, raised a matter of personal privilege before the chamber.
Agbese accused fellow lawmaker, Ikenga Ugochinyere, of allegedly using his signature without authorisation in a nomination document said to support his bid for the office of Minority Leader.
He told the House that he was shocked to discover a document circulating online bearing his name and signature, allegedly used to endorse Ugochinyere’s aspiration for the opposition leadership position.
According to Agbese, while he had engaged in discussions with several lawmakers, including Ugochinyere, on legislative matters and constituency concerns, he never signed or endorsed any formal 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,” he said.
The lawmaker urged the leadership of the House to investigate the alleged forgery and halt what he described as attempts to tarnish his reputation amid the ongoing minority leadership tussle.
Agbese also dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that some lawmakers were offered financial inducements to influence the selection process for the Minority Leader.
“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.
In response, Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, acknowledged the complaint and assured that the matter would be addressed.
He appealed to lawmakers not to escalate the tension on the floor, noting that a closed-door meeting of minority lawmakers had already been scheduled for later in the 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.
The situation escalated further when Ugochinyere sought permission to make a personal explanation, insisting that the allegations made against him must be addressed publicly. He denied any wrongdoing, stating that Agbese personally signed the nomination document supporting his aspiration for Minority Leader.
According to him, the signature was obtained during a meeting attended by several lawmakers who could confirm the process. His remarks triggered an immediate reaction from Agbese, who repeatedly interrupted him, shouting that he never signed any such document.
The exchange quickly degenerated into a shouting match as lawmakers aligned with both camps exchanged words, deepening the minority leadership tussle and forcing the Speaker to repeatedly call for order. Despite the disruption, Ugochinyere maintained that his aspiration had the backing of a majority of opposition lawmakers.
“I understand that at the moment, the overwhelming majority of 61 members out of 81 opposition members elected me,” he said, insisting that internal opposition to his emergence was politically motivated.
He further described the forgery allegation as “a treacherous lie” and said he would present witnesses who were present when the nomination document was allegedly signed. The Speaker again intervened, urging lawmakers to allow the matter to be resolved at the scheduled closed-door meeting rather than continuing the confrontation on the floor.
Before order was fully restored, another lawmaker raised a procedural objection, arguing that Ugochinyere’s claim of being elected by opposition lawmakers should be removed from the House record since it was not an official decision of the chamber. The lawmaker stressed that only the opposition caucus had the authority to determine and present its leadership structure to the House.
The latest confrontation highlights deepening divisions within the opposition bloc as rival factions continue to jostle for key leadership positions amid an unresolved minority leadership tussle. The outcome of the scheduled closed-door meeting is expected to determine the direction of the opposition caucus in the House of Representatives going forward.
