A fierce contest over the leadership of the opposition caucus in the House of Representatives spilled into open confrontation on Thursday, as lawmakers traded accusations of forgery, blackmail and attempts to manipulate the race for the position of Minority Leader.
The tense session exposed deepening divisions within the opposition bloc, where rival groups are battling for control of key leadership positions following recent political realignments in the chamber.
The dispute began during plenary when Philip Agbese (Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Benue State) raised a matter of personal privilege, accusing Ikenga Ugochinyere (Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State) of forging his signature on a document allegedly nominating him for the position of Minority Leader.
Agbese told the House that he was shocked to discover a nomination form circulating online bearing his name and signature in support of Ugochinyere’s bid.
He said that while he had engaged in discussions with several lawmakers on minority caucus issues, he never signed any document endorsing the Imo lawmaker.
“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery of my signature for purposes I did not authorise,” Agbese said.
He called on the House leadership to investigate the matter and halt what he described as efforts to tarnish his reputation.
The lawmaker also dismissed reports circulating on social media alleging that some lawmakers were offered $50,000 to support a candidate in the leadership contest, describing the claim as false and damaging.
“My constituents have been calling me. I have not received any money from anyone, and I will not do so. This is about my integrity,” he said.
Responding, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas acknowledged the complaint and assured that the allegations would be looked into.
He, however, urged lawmakers not to escalate the matter on the floor, noting that he had already scheduled a closed-door meeting with opposition members later in the day to resolve the leadership dispute.
“We will take action on the issue you have raised in due course. I have invited all minority members to a closed-door meeting today at 2 p.m. so we can discuss further,” the Speaker said.
Tensions escalated when Ugochinyere was granted permission to respond, as he rejected the allegations and insisted that his signature was not forged.
He maintained that Agbese personally signed the nomination document in the presence of several lawmakers who could testify.
His remarks triggered immediate protests from Agbese, who repeatedly interrupted him, shouting: “I never did that!”
The chamber descended into a shouting match as lawmakers from both sides exchanged words, forcing the Speaker to repeatedly call for order.
Despite the disruption, Ugochinyere insisted that he enjoyed overwhelming support among opposition lawmakers.
“Out of 81 opposition members, 61 have endorsed me. Some people may not be comfortable with it, but I did not expect desperation to reach this level,” he said.
He described the forgery allegation as “false and treacherous” and vowed to present witnesses who were present at the alleged signing.
The Speaker again intervened, urging both sides to await the outcome of the planned caucus meeting.
Before order was fully restored, another lawmaker raised a point of order arguing that Ugochinyere’s claim of majority support should be struck from the records, saying leadership matters within the opposition bloc must be resolved internally and not on the floor of the House.
The confrontation comes amid renewed uncertainty over the leadership of the opposition caucus following political realignments within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
Kingsley Chinda, the former Minority Leader, recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), further altering the balance of power within the caucus.
Ugochinyere’s rising profile as one of the most vocal opposition voices in the House has strengthened his support base among some lawmakers, amid ongoing leadership disputes within the PDP and broader opposition ranks.
Sources said the struggle reflects a wider contest over whether opposition leadership should follow party hierarchy or reflect new political alignments within the chamber.
The latest confrontation underscored the intensity of the struggle, as rival claims of majority support played out publicly on the floor of the House.
The outcome of the Speaker’s closed-door meeting with opposition lawmakers is expected to shape the final composition of the minority leadership and the direction of the caucus.
