According to reports from THIS DAY, the members of the House of Representatives in the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have been mandated by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to choose their principal officers and let the party know of their decision later in the day.
According to the source, the PDP members in the House held a meeting with the party leaders, where it impressed upon them to select their principal officers just as their colleagues in the Senate have done in a respectable atmosphere.
It was gathered that Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the immediate past Speaker of the House of Reps, is being considered strongly for the post of minority leader as a natural choice.
“In any case, as former speaker, he has assumed leadership naturally and has been the one co-ordinating our members in the House,” a reliable party source said, adding: “He is good to get it except he declines the offer.”
The source revealed that the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, presided over the meeting and said that this path was towed by the party to avoid any allegation of imposition by the party leadership on its members.
“At the meeting, the party’s members of the House were in attendance and the party directed that they should meet on their own and inform the NWC of those chosen before Tuesday. The party does not want to be accused of any preferential treatment,” the source stated.
It was further gathered that the deadline was set for Tuesday because of the pressure being heaped by the leadership of the National Assembly as it said it was waiting for the input of the minority into some committees that it has set up to carry out some tasks, which includes, the allocation of offices and committees chairmanship and membership.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has not yet appointed its own principal officers in both chambers of the National Assembly but it has been said not to be an issue since the Senate President was already a member of the party.
It has however been gathered that Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and Dr. Ossai Ossai, both from Delta state, are interested in the position of minority leader.
Dr. Leo Ogor, from Delta State, was the minority leader in the 8th House of Representatives but, he did not return to the 9th Assembly.
Last week, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe from Abia State, was chosen as the Minority Leader in the Senate while Senator Emmanuel Bwacha from Taraba was chosen to serve as the Deputy Minority Leader. Senator Philip Aduda (FCT) and Clifford Ordia (Edo) were chosen as Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip respectively.
This was after a three hour meeting between the NWC of the PDP and its Senators.
