The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session on Thursday following a dispute over the minority leadership position, after allegations emerged that a lawmaker’s signature was forged to endorse Ikenga Ugochinyere for the role of Minority Leader.
The controversy was raised on the floor by deputy spokesperson, Philip Agbese, who claimed that his signature appeared on a circulated endorsement list without his consent.
Agbese told lawmakers that he never signed any document supporting Ugochinyere’s nomination and insisted that the alleged endorsement was done without his knowledge or approval.
He said the document in question reportedly contained the signatures of about 61 Minority Caucus members said to have supported Ugochinyere’s emergence as Minority Leader.
The development comes amid the ongoing reconfiguration of the Minority Caucus following a leadership vacuum created after the exit of the former Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Raising the matter under a motion of personal privilege, Agbese said the circulation of the document and use of his name amounted to a breach of his legislative rights.
“Yesterday I saw a document on the internet with my name reportedly nominating a member of this House for the post of minority leader,” he said.
He added that his interactions with Ugochinyere were limited to discussions on legislative welfare and constituency matters, not leadership endorsement.
“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery for my signature to be used for purposes which were not intended,” he said.
Agbese further denied allegations of financial inducement, insisting that he had not received any money from anyone in relation to the endorsement controversy.
“My constituents have been calling me… I have not received any amount of money from anybody,” he said.
He informed the House that he would submit the disputed document and related online reports for investigation.
In his ruling, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas noted the complaint and directed that the matter be addressed in due course.
Tension escalated shortly after when Ugochinyere was granted a Motion of Personal Explanation, where he rejected the forgery allegation and insisted that due process was followed in his selection.
He said Agbese was not present at the meeting where the endorsement took place and claimed that the lawmaker had earlier visited his office to append his signature alongside others who supported the decision.
Ugochinyere also pledged to present evidence and witnesses to back his claim, maintaining that no forgery occurred.
The exchange quickly turned heated as Agbese interrupted, insisting again that he never signed any endorsement document, prompting a shouting match among lawmakers.
As the chamber became rowdy, Speaker Abbas intervened and restored order, noting that a Minority Caucus meeting had already been scheduled for later in the day to resolve the dispute.
Some lawmakers also contributed to the debate, with divergent views on eligibility and procedure for selecting minority leadership, before the Speaker moved the House to other legislative business.
