PDP berates Gbaja, accuses him of playing politics with minority leadership positions

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila of playing politics with minority leadership positions in the lower chamber. 

The party spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan reacted to the leadership fiasco that erupted the house during it session on Wednesday.  

Mr Ologbondiyan said it was improper for the speaker to disregard the choice of the party for the minority positions for  his own personal choices.

In a statement released after the brief leadership tussle that rocked the house on Wednesday, Mr Ologbondiyan noted that the PDP had duly informed the speaker about it choice of candidates for the minority positions prior to the sitting.

“However, to our utter dismay, the PDP had discovered that the Speaker attempted to smuggle in names other than those recognized and forwarded to him as the leaders of the Minority in the House of Representatives,” Ologbondiyan said.

“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.”

The preferred choices of the  opposition party for the minority positions were; Kingsley Chinda as minority leader, Chukwuka Onyema as deputy minority leader; Yakubu Barde, minority whip and Muraina Ajibola, deputy minority whip.

Gabajabimila out his personal discretion,announced Ndidi Elumelu as minority leader, Toby Okechukwu as deputy minority leader, Gideon Gwani as minority whip and Adesegun Adekoya as deputy minority whip.