The development followed moves by 60 minority lawmakers to fill the vacancy created by the exit of former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, with members representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Imo-Ugochinyere.
The House resolution followed a motion by Babajimi Benson, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State, who told his colleagues that Order 7, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the House provides that only members with “cognate legislative experience” are eligible for appointment as Principal Officers of the House.
Benson argued that parliamentary best practices globally reserve such positions for experienced legislators in order to preserve institutional memory, strengthen legislative competence, and enhance understanding of constitutional and intergovernmental processes.
According to him the Standing Order should be amended to specifically define “cognate legislative experience” as requiring a member to have completed at least one full four-year term in the House of Representatives, asking the House to state clearly that no other interpretation of the term shall apply.
The amendment was swiftly adopted by the House when put forward for voice vote by the speaker.
The motion effectively excludes first-term lawmakers from appointment as Principal Officers of the House; a move that has generated fresh debate within the Minority Caucus and across the National Assembly.
Available records show that 60 of the 82 members of the Minority Caucus endorsed the nomination of Ikenga Imo-Ugochinyere for the position of Minority Leader, demonstrating significant support within the caucus.
Meanwhile, the media reached out to Ugochinyere’s G-60 group, who revealed that efforts to resolve the minority leadership dispute have reportedly produced a proposed peace arrangement.
The group disclosed that under the arrangement, Ugochinyere and his G-60 bloc would play a decisive role in nominating a consensus candidate for the Minority Leadership position, as well as other minority principal officers.