Fresh Trouble In House Of Reps: Minority Lawmakers Move To Sack Chinda As Leader

The crisis within the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives appears far from over, despite intervention efforts by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

Weeks after moves began to unseat Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda over alleged failure to mount an effective opposition against the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led House, tensions within the caucus remain unresolved.

Chinda, who represents the Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop his removal. He alleged that the move against him was politically driven and linked to his perceived closeness to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

However, his decision to take legal action has angered several caucus members, who recently met in Abuja to decide on their next steps.

During the meeting, Speaker Abbas appealed for calm and urged the lawmakers to allow him some time to broker peace.

But a caucus member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Speaker’s intervention had only delayed — not stopped — the plan to oust Chinda.

“The meeting was held, but it’s too early to draw conclusions. Many members are still dissatisfied. We’re watching to see if things will improve. If not, the push to remove Hon. Chinda will be revived,” the lawmaker said.

He added, “The Speaker is not part of the opposition caucus, which is why some of us doubt that his intervention will make a real difference.”

On whether Chinda had withdrawn the court case as earlier promised, the lawmaker explained, “We’ve already filed our response in court. He hasn’t withdrawn the suit yet, and I understand he intends to do so only when he’s certain peace has been restored.”

Another opposition lawmaker, who also preferred to remain anonymous “out of respect for the Speaker,” expressed doubts about Chinda’s ability to regain the trust of the caucus.

“I honestly don’t see how the Minority Leader can win back the confidence of members. He’s a competent leader, but his closeness to the FCT Minister has become a major problem. If that relationship is stopping him from standing up for the opposition, should we just stay silent?” the lawmaker asked.

Meanwhile, Chinda and the Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi, remain at the centre of the controversy.

Ozodinobi recently came under scrutiny after a viral video showed him boasting about securing ₦19 billion worth of projects under what is believed to be the 2024 Appropriation Act. Some lawmakers described his comments as evidence of undue financial influence within the caucus leadership.