Ugochinyere loses minority leader bid as reps bar first-term lawmakers from principal offices

The house of representatives has barred first-term lawmakers from holding principal offices.

The resolution was passed during Wednesday’s plenary following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Babajimi Benson, lawmaker representing Ikorodu federal constituency of Lagos.

The resolution clarified Order 7, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the house of representatives.

Order 7, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the green chamber states that “only members with cognate legislative experience as members of the house of representatives” shall be eligible for appointment as principal officers of the house.

Benson said “global parliamentary best practices rule out first-term parliamentarians from holding principal offices and reserve principal offices for experienced legislators to promote institutional memory, deepen understanding of legislative processes, and enhance competence in constitutional interpretation and intergovernmental relations”.

He referenced the senate’s recent amendment to its rules restricting leadership positions to senators who have served at least two terms.

“The 10th senate has recently specifically defined ‘cognate legislative experience’ to mean ‘senators who have completed at least one full four-year term’, adding that those with multiple previous terms must have served in the immediate past assembly,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker said there is a need to prioritise institutional memory, “deepen parliamentary stability and continuity, build legislative experience, minimise avoidable turbulence, and promote mature representation in the comity of international parliamentary associations”.

The house unanimously adopted the motion when Tajudeen Abbas, the speaker of the house, put it to a voice vote.

Following that, the house defined “cognate legislative experience” under Order 7, Rule 15 of its Standing Orders as applying to members who have completed at least one full four-year term.

IKEAGWUONU UGOCHINYERE LOSES OUT

The resolution effectively shut out first-term lawmakers, including Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, lawmaker representing Ideato north/Ideato south federal constituency in Imo state and member of the Action People’s Party (APP), from the race for minority leader.

Last week, some opposition lawmakers nominated Ugochiyere for the minority leader position to succeed Kingsley Chinda, lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor federal constituency, who vacated the role after emerging as the APC governorship candidate for Rivers state.

But during the house of representatives plenary on Thursday, Philip Agbese, deputy spokesperson of the green chamber and a member of the Labour Party (LP), denied endorsing Ugochinyere to lead the minority caucus.

Agbese alleged that his signature was forged on the document nominating Ugochinyere for the role — a claim the APP lawmaker dismissed as an “outrageous lie”.

Ugochinyere would later release a video to back his claim that Agbese signed the document endorsing him for the position of minority leader. (TheCable)