There was a mild drama on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday as senator Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North, yelled and vented the misgivings of the Labour Party on Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over the leadership positions in the Minority Caucus of the Senate.
Akpabio had announced Senator Abba Moro, representing Benue South, as Minority Leader, and Senator Osita Ngwu, senator representing Enugu West, as minority whip on Tuesday during plenary.
Both senators are from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, which commands the majority among the six minority parties opposing the single majority of the All-Progressives Congress, APC.
Both senators Simon Mwadkwon, (Plateau North- PDP) and Darlington Nwokocha, (Abia Central-LP) respectively were sacked by the court in the last week.
Mwadkwon was the minority leader while Nwokocha was the minority whip before their removal.
However, trouble started when Akpabio announced their replacements on Tuesday.
Labour Party Senators had expected another member from the party to replace Nwokocha but that was not to be.
To their consternation, Ngwu was named instead.
Miffed by what they considered deliberate isolation, Nwoye rose to vent the party’s anger, yelling at Akpabio.
“Are we your slaves?” You are elected the same way we are elected,” Nwoye yelled.
“Why will the senate president be picking leaders for us?” the former governorship candidate of the PDP roared again.
He declared with pointed fingers, “You have done your worst. You have pushed us to the wall.
“Meaning what? It is unfair. It is not about me, it is about the institution of the state,” the Labour Party senator explained.
Other senators who were on the floor rose to pacify their visibly angry colleague urging him to calm down.
Akpabio however explained he was not responsible for their emergence advising the minority caucus to organise their house.
“Minority put your house in order first,” Akpabio advised.
He added, “The senate president can only work with what is before me.
“You have senator Abaribe and Aliero, their names are not here,” Akpabio pleaded further.
