Minority Leadership: House Seals Ikenga’s Fate, Bars First-timers From Principal Offices

The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has expressed satisfaction over the resolution of the House of Representatives, barring Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere and other first timers from Principal Offices in the Parliament.

 

The House, on Wednesday, while adopting a motion brought before it by Member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Hon. Babajimi Benson, barred first time Members from holding principal offices, including the minority leadership in the House.

 

The motion titled “Need for a Precise Definition of Order Seven, Rule 15 of the House of Representatives” was unanimously passed without a debate.

 

“The House notes that Order Seven, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives 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.

 

“Aware that 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.

 

“Also aware that 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”, the motion reads.

 

The House also took cognizant of the need to “prioritize institutional memory, deepen parliamentary stability and continuity, legislative experience, minimise avoidable turbulence and promote matured representation in the comity of international parliamentary associations”.

 

The House therefore defined ‘Cognate Legislative Experience’ as contained in Order Seven, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the House to mean – ‘Members who have completed at least one full four-year term. The House also stated unequivocally that there is no other definition to the term ‘cognate legislative experience’ other than as stated above.

 

Reacting, Hon. Agbese described the resolution as an act of God, saying, he has been vindicated by God.

 

“No one goes to heaven through the back doors. The only one acceptable and laid down route to see God is through his son, Jesus. The Bible is clear on that.

 

“Order 7 Rules 15 is also clear on how to become a Principal Officer in the House of Representatives. You must be a ranking Member. You must have cognate experience. You cannot be a greenhorn and expect to lead the Minority Caucus. It’s not by gathering some of your colleagues or bringing a paper and said so and so have endorsed you.

 

“It is in the Rule of the House. You can not smuggle yourself into an office you are not qualified for. Today’s resolution has vindicated me. It’s purely an act of God. This is good for the institutional memory of our dear Parliament”, Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, added.

 

Recall that Hon. Ugochinyere, Member representing Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State, had hinted the House, during a session last Thursday, that 61 Members affixed their signatures to nominate him for the position of Minority Leadership.

 

But Agbese raised a motion on Personal Privileges, dissociating himself from the purported nomination of Ugochinyere, alleging that his signature was taken for something differently and wondered why he would read in the Media that he endorsed him.