Sixty-one out 81 members of the Opposition Parties in the House of Representatives on Wednesday expressed support for the appointment of Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere as Minority Leader-designate.
This followed the resignation of Hon. Kingsley Chinda, who announced his decision via a letter dated April 16, 2026.
The letter was read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen on the floor of the House on Tuesday after resumption from the Sallah recess.
Majority of lawmakers who adopted Hon. Ugochinyere were drawn from Allied Peoples Movement (APM), National Democratic Party (NDC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP), Accord Party (AP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Action Peoples Party (APP).
They submitted the signed nomination of Hon. Ugochinyere to the Speaker ahead of the announcement.
Order 7, Rule 7 of the House of Representatives’ Standing Order provides that members shall elect among themselves the Minority Leader to lead them.
The lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed confidence that Speaker Tajudeen as an unbiased leader will swiftly make the announcement so that the Minority can have its leadership in the next few days, and the parliament can be fully constituted with the minority fully represented.
The lawmakers said they have also settled for nominees to fill the vacant positions of Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Leader, with one of the positions already taken by an NDC member from the North West.
After ongoing harmonisation, the remaining list will be sent to the Speaker within the next few days for announcement.
The lawmakers said they unanimously resolved to adopt Hon. Ugochinyere because of his excellent legislative record, three years out of his four-year term, during which he sponsored and moved over 40 bills, motions and petitions, in addition to his four years as Senior Adviser to the Senate President, all of which have established him as a qualified candidate for the job.
The opposition lawmakers said that the power to choose rests with the majority of the minority members, and that power has now been exercised, adding that any sentimental arguments will not change the decision of the minority lawmakers, who have overwhelmingly settled for one of their own.
They noted that, in the past, Senator Godswill Akpabio was elected Senate Minority Leader after only three weeks in parliament, and that many others have been elected to top parliamentary positions with fewer years of experience.
They added that even when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zoned the speakership to the South West for Mulikat Akande-Adeola, the lawmakers elected Aminu Tambuwal and Emeka Ihedioha.
They also said when the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoned the Senate presidency to the North East, the senators elected Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and Hon. Yakubu Dogara was elected after the position had been tipped for the South West.
They further noted that the parliament is rooted in the principle of majority decision and not sentiment.
The lawmakers said their choice of Ugochinyere, with three years of legislative experience for a four-year job, is more than enough.
The names of the 61 opposition federal lawmakers who selected Ikenga as the Minority Leader designate are as follows: Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (APP); Hon. Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi (ADC–Kaduna); Hon. Aniekwe Peter Udogalanya (NDC-Anambra); Hon. Shehu Dalhatu (PDP- Katsina); Hon. Aliyu Bappa Misau (APM – Bauchi); Hon. Matthew Nwogu (APP – Imo); Hon. Ojo Sunday Makanjuola – (APM – Oyo); Hon. Anthony Adepoju (APM – Oyo); Hon. Isah Bello Ambarura (ADC – Sokoto); Hon. Sani Yakubu Noma (ADC – Kebbi); Hon. Umar Mukhtar Zakari (NDC – Kano); Hon. Adamu Sani Wakili (NDC – Kano); Hon. Datti Yusuf Umar (NDC – Kano); Hon. Abdulhakeem Kamilu Ado (NDC – Kano); Hon. Philip Agbese (LP – Benue); Hon. Dahiru Abubakar Sarki (SDP – Nasarawa); Hon. Thaddeus Attah (NDC – Lagos); Hon. Gwacham Maureen Chinwe (APGA – Anambra); Hon. Obinna Aguocha (LP – Abia); Hon. Nnabuife Chinwe Clara (APGA – Anambra); Hon. Peter Ifeanyi Uzokwe (NDC – Anambra); Hon. Emeka Idu Godwin Obiajulu (NDC – Anambra); Hon. Oyedeji Najimdeen Oyeshina (APM – Oyo); Hon. Joshua Obika (NDC – FCT); Hon. Okonkwo Uchenna Harris (NDC – Anambra); Hon. Oluwande George (NDC – Lagos); Hon. Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi – (NDC – Lagos); Hon. Oladebo Lanre Omoleye (Accord -Osun); Hon. Mudashiru Lukman Alani (Accord – Osun); and Hon. Mani Maishinko Katami (ADC – Sokoto).
Others are: Hon. Usman Basiru – (ADC – Sokoto); Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa (LP – Abia); Hon. Alexanda Ifeanyi Ikwechegh (LP – Abia); Hon. Omoruyi Murphy Osaro (NDC – Edo); Hon. Aliyu Aminu Garu (APM – Bauchi); Hon. Auwalu Abdu Gwalabe (APM – Bauchi); Hon. Hashimu Adamu (APM – Bauchi); Hon. Akanni Clement Ademola (Accord – Osun); Hon. Adewale Morufu Adebayo (Accord – Osun); Hon. Adetunji Abidemi Olusoji (Accord – Osun); Hon. Okafor Dominic Ifeanyi (APGA – Anambra); Hon. Onwusibe Ginger Obinna (LP – Abia); Hon. Zubairu Bashir Usman (ADC – Kaduna); Hon. Abdulmaleek Danga (PDP – Kogi); Hon. Oluwaseyi Ayopo Sowumi (NDC – Lagos); Hon. Madawaki Dahiru (PDP – Jigawa); Hon. Sani Ibrahim Tanko (APM – Bauchi); Hon. Umar Yusuf Yabo (ADC – Sokoto); Hon. el-Rufai Mohammed Bello (ADC – Kaduna); Hon. Ajilo Umar Shehu (ADC – Kaduna); Hon. Yahaya Suleiman Richifa (ADC – Kaduna); Hon. Gana Joshua Audu (PDP – Niger); Hon. Abel David Fuoh (PDP – Taraba); Hon. Sani Lawal (ADC – Katsina); Hon. Fola Oyekunle (APM – Oyo); Hon. Amobi Ogah (LP – Abia); Hon. Adamu Yakubu (PDP – Jigawa); Hon. Abdullahi El Rasheed (ADC – Gombe); Hon. Esosa Iyame (NDC – Edo); Hon. Bala Rabiu (PDP – Bauchi); and Hon. Abubakar Baba Zango (DC – Adamawa).
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