The Abia State House of Assembly witnessed a dramatic scene yesterday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus staged a walkout during plenary and boycotted the screening of commissioner-nominees. This action was taken in response to their relegation to the position of a minority party within the House.
Out of the 24-member Abia Assembly, the PDP holds 11 seats, followed by the Labour Party (LP) with 10 seats, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) with two seats, and the APC with only one seat.
The conflict arose during the previous sitting when Speaker Emmanuel Emereuwa announced that, based on an understanding between the LP, YPP, and APC, the LP had formed the majority in the House. He proceeded to name individuals from these parties for key positions.
However, this decision did not sit well with the PDP lawmakers, who disputed the validity of the previous voting and proceedings. They argued that the PDP was the majority party and should hold the positions of Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip, and Deputy Chief Whip.
Despite their demands, the Speaker refused to read out the nominees put forward by the PDP, leading the PDP lawmakers to stage a protest and walk out of the chamber.
In the absence of the PDP members, the Speaker continued with the day’s business, which included the screening and confirmation of 19 commissioner nominees proposed by Governor Alex Otti.
Solomon Akpulonu, the member representing Obingwa East state constituency, announced that the PDP lawmakers would seek legal interpretation of the House standing order to determine the selection process for principal officers. Akpulonu emphasized that the minority party should not have the authority to appoint principal officers, and the Speaker must respect the rules governing the House.
Goddy Adiele, the representative for Ukwa East constituency, added that if there were truly coalitions or alliances taking place, YPP and APC members should publicly declare their defections on the House floor before the LP could assume the majority status.
The PDP lawmakers vowed to approach their party leadership and pursue legal recourse to ensure that principal officers are selected based on the majority party’s representation in the Abia Assembly. They strongly assert that the PDP remains the majority party in Abia Assembly until proper procedures are followed.