Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wednesday rejected what it described as the attempt by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to impose leaders for the party in the House of Representatives.
PDP said it had duly written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after consultation with other minority members in the House of Representatives, notifying him of members that were selected for leadership positions in the House of Representatives, in line with dictates of the rules and parliamentary practice.
But THISDAY gathered from some lawmakers that the position of the PDP was not in line with the House of Representatives’ Rule 8 Section 7, which states that it is only members that would pick its leaders and not the party.
It was further gathered that there are nine opposition political parties in addition to the PDP.
However, PDP was alleged that ahead to appropriate all the four minority positions without input from other minority parties.
The letter read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives was endorsed by 111 members of the minority party as against the 147.
But in a statement by the spokesman of PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbkndiyan, the party alleged that the speaker attempted to smuggle in names other than those recognised and forwarded to him as the leaders of the Minority in the House of Representatives.
“The PDP, in the strongest terms, cautions against this abuse of rules, parliamentary practices and procedures as well as the convention and we urge the speaker to respect the rules and read the list submitted to him by the leadership of the PDP.
”For the avoidance of doubt, the list forwarded to the Speaker by the PDP is as follows: Hon. Kingsley Chinda – Minority Leader; Hon. Chukwuka Onyema- Deputy Minority Leader; Hon. Yakubu Barde – Minority Whip; Hon. Muraina Ajibola – Deputy Minority Whip”.
However, the other minority parties in the House selected Ndudi Elumelu as the Minority Leader. He is from Delta State. Other minority officers selected include: Toby Okechukwu as Deputy Minority Leader
and Gedion Gwani as the
whip.
