The crisis rocking the minority caucus of the House of Representatives is far from over, some opposition lawmakers have said.
This comes weeks after a group of lawmakers elected on the platforms of opposition parties began moves to remove the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, over alleged failure to provide robust opposition to the All Progressives Congress-led House.
Chinda, who represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in Rivers State, ran to the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop his removal, claiming the move was politically motivated and linked to his closeness to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
His decision to seek legal protection, however, angered some caucus members, who subsequently met in Abuja to decide on the next line of action.
The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, attended the meeting and appealed to the aggrieved lawmakers to allow him time to mediate and resolve the dispute.
A caucus member, who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the intervention by the Speaker had only delayed the planned impeachment, not ended it.
“The meeting held, but it’s still early in the day. The truth is that members are not happy. We’re only watching to see what will change. If there are no changes, the agitation to remove Hon. Chinda will return,” the lawmaker said.
He added that despite the Speaker’s mediation, distrust still lingers.
“The Speaker is not a member of the opposition caucus, and that’s why some of us believe nothing will change,” he noted.
On whether Chinda had withdrawn the court case as promised, the lawmaker said, “We’ve already joined issues with him in court. He hasn’t withdrawn the suit yet. I heard he would only do so when he is convinced that peace has returned.”
Another member of the caucus, who also spoke anonymously “out of respect for Mr Speaker,” expressed doubt that Chinda could regain the confidence of opposition lawmakers.
He said, “I do not see how the Minority Leader can win back the caucus. He’s a capable leader, but his closeness to the FCT Minister has become a stumbling block. If that relationship prevents him from standing up for the opposition, should we keep quiet and let things continue like this?”
Chinda and the Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi, have been at the centre of the controversy. Many caucus members accuse them of compromising the opposition’s role in the House.
Ozodinobi recently drew criticism after a viral video showed him boasting of attracting N19bn worth of projects in a budget believed to be the 2024 Appropriation Act. Some lawmakers interpreted the comment as evidence of undue financial influence on the caucus leadership.
Ozodinobi has yet to publicly respond to the allegation.
(Source: Punch except the headline)
