The simmering crisis within the minority caucus of the House of Representatives has boiled over ahead of resumption of plenary.
Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), under threat of removal from a section of minority members, obtained an injunction stopping the leadership of the House and the Minority Caucus from removing him.
He is targeted for removal because of his affiliation with Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, it was learnt.
Members of the caucus have slated a “crucial meeting” to decide Chinda’s fate.
The meeting, billed for one of the conference rooms in the House of Representatives wing of the National Assembly, is expected to be attended by all caucus members.
The notice of the meeting was signed by leaders of four of the minority parties.
These are: Frederick Agbedi (PDP), Afam Victor Ogene (LP), Muktar Umar-Zakari (NNPP) and Peter Nzokwe (YPP).
But supporters of Chinda are not relenting. They are fighting back under the ‘Active Minority’ group, which claims to have the majority of members.
They have, in fact, prepared for a showdown with the anti-Chinda group.
Defendants in Chinda’s suit are the National Assembly, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Clerk to the House of Representatives, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Labour Party (LP), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) and Young Progressive Party (YPP).
Justice J.O. Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim injunction asking all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the suit.
The items on the agenda are to prepare a “response to the lawsuit instituted by Chinda, against all minority parties and any other business (AOB).”
In an order of interim injunction, the court ordered all parties in the suit filed on behalf of Chinda by Dr. J.Y. Musa (SAN) to maintain the status quo, pending the determination of the suit.
Chinda is seeking “an order restraining the defendants, their servants, privies, officers, agents, members, howsoever described, from removing him as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives without compliance with the due process of the law or accepting/recognising any exercise by any person(s) purportedly removing him from his position as the Minority Leader.”
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