Abba Moro, Ngwu Emerge New Senate Minority Leader, Whip

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio Tuesday announced new leaders of the Minority Caucus of the Senate as he named Senator Abba Moro (PDP Benue South) and Senator OsitaNgwu (PDP Enugu West) as Minority Leader and the Minority Whip respectively.
The new leaders replaced sacked Senators Simon Mwadkwon, (PDP ,Plateau North )and Darlington Nwokocha, (LP Abia Central,) recently sacked by Court .
However there are indications that the announcement has created cracks amongst the Minority Caucus as some members of the Minority caucus especially Senators of the Labour Party as they expressed dissatisfaction on the selection noting that the PDP has taken all the minority seats leaving none for the other parties.
They rejected the nominations and demanded that the nomination should be canceled. The minority caucus has a total of 49 senators out of the 109 senators at the upper chamber.
The PDP still maintained a majority of members in the minority caucus with 37 senators.
Labour Party has seven senators, SDP and NNPP has two senators each while APGA has one senator.
The drama started when Senator
OkechukwuEzea (LP Enugu North) who raised a point of order against the nomination queried the rationale behind two members of the PDP occupying the positions.
He said it is unfair, unjust and unacceptable for the PDP to occupy two positions while other members of the minority caucus have nothing.

“There is no way the PDP will take three seats and the LP and other minority parties will not have anything. It is unfair, unjust and unacceptable,” he said.

Also, Senator Tony Nwoye (LP Anambra North) rejected nomination was heard screaming “are we your slaves, how can you be choosing minority leader for us?”

Senator AdamuAliero (PDP Kebbi Central) urged the Senate to suspend nomination of the Minority Whip because the minority caucus is yet to decide on the nomination.

The former governor confirmed that the caucus had unanimously endorsed Senator Moro for the position of the Minority Leader, requesting that the Senate should suspend nomination of the Minority Whip until the caucus agreed on the nomination.

But the Senate President ruled the aggrieved senators out of order on the ground that a majority of the minority senators endorsed the nominations.

At the end, Senator Akpabio approved the nominations of Senators Moro and Ngwu

By: Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja