PDP’s Ngwu appointed as Chief Whip by Akpabio causes uproar

Following the appointment of Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West as the new Senate Minority Whip, there was a commotion in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Some senators from the Labour Party were not pleased with the announcement that Ngwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be the minority leader by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Sen. Okechukwu Ezea, an Enugu North senator, stood up to protest the nomination. Sen. Tony Nwoye of the LP supported his personal objection by standing up to oppose the PDP’s takeover of three minority leadership positions, which would have left the Labour Party without a senatorial representative.

Following a heated debate, the majority vote in favour of the PDP for the Senate Minority Whip was taken by the Senate President.

Sen. Darlington Nwokwocha of the Labour Party, who served as the district representative for Abia Central until his dismissal by the Court of Appeal in Lagos on November 4, is replaced by Ngwu.

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In the session, Akpabio also appointed Benue South member Abba Moro as the Senate’s new minority leader.

On the PDP platform, he takes the position of Sen. Simon Nwadkwon, a representative for Plateau North, who was fired by the court on October 23.

The late Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, who designed the national flag and passed away on August 29, 2023, has been recommended by the Senate to be immortalised by the federal government.

The lawmakers held a moment of silence following the motion made by Sen. Sharafadeen Abiodun, who represents Oyo South, and urged the government to bury him in a state funeral in recognition of his contribution to the creation of the national flag.