I’ve suspended battle with Elumelu – Chinda

The factional Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the House of Representatives, led by Mr Kingsley Chinda, may have backed down on its agitation for the seats of minority principal officers of the chamber.

As the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party intervened in the minority leadership crisis in the House, Chinda, who is the party’s candidate for the position of Minority Leader, told our correspondent last Friday that he had decided to suspend his battle against Mr Ndudi Elumelu for the seat.

The lawmaker noted that the PDP had asked his faction to suspend the agitation in order to allow the party’s intervention.

The PDP had nominated Chinda as Minority Leader; Chukwuka Onyema (Deputy Minority Leader); Yakubu Barde (Minority Whip) and Muraina Ajibola (Deputy Minority Whip), in a letter signed by its National Chairman, Uche Secondus and the Secretary, Senator Umaru Tsauri, dated June 21, 2019, and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila.

However, on July 3, the Speaker read a letter from a group of minority lawmakers, comprising members of the PDP and other minority parties nominating Elumelu as Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu as Deputy Minority Leader, Gideon Gwani as Minority Whip and Adesegun Adekoya as Deputy Minority Whip.

The next day, Chinda had taken the seat reserved for the Minority Leader, but the Speaker blocked his attempts to speak, saying that the lawmaker was in a wrong seat.

The PDP had suspended Elumelu and six other leaders of his PDP caucus faction, namely, Wole Oke, Lynda Ikpeazu, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwani, Toby Okechukwu and Segun Adekoya.

The Board of Trustees of the party had also set up a panel chaired by a former Senate President, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, with a former Deputy Speaker of the House, Austin Opara, as Secretary; and former Senate Presidents, David Mark and Adolphus Wabara; as well as former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, as members.

The panel had last Thursday grilled Elumelu and the lawmakers suspended by the party.

Speaking with our correspondent, Chinda said, “They have set up a committee and we were advised not to say anything (to the press) again until they conclude (their investigation).”

When asked if what he said meant that he was maintaining the status quo on the seat of Minority Leader of the House, the lawmaker said, “That is what the party advised.”

Chinda, in an earlier interview with our correspondent, had been asked if he still believed that he was the authentic Minority Leader.

The lawmaker had responded, “The party has intervened. It has asked that we should all stay action, that it would take care of the issues. So, I am obedient to my party. Having been told that, I will stay all actions until the party resolves the matter. If the party says, ‘Hon. Chinda, ‘A’ is our Minority Leader,’ I will not raise a finger.

“It ends there because I was elected first as a parliamentarian, not as a minority leader. It is nothing to me. But I will always defend the position of my party.”