The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, has survived an attempt by some aggrieved opposition lawmakers to remove him from office, following last-minute interventions by the House leadership and deep divisions within the minority caucus.

It was learnt that the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, played a crucial role in diffusing the tension after holding a meeting with the opposition lawmakers to address their grievances.

An opposition lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Speaker Abbas “gate-crashed” into a meeting of the minority caucus at the National Assembly and pleaded on behalf of Chinda.

According to the source, the Speaker promised to personally intervene, and out of respect for his office, “Chinda was spared—at least for now.”

“Chinda also pledged to turn a new leaf. He apologized for going to court and promised to withdraw the case,” the source added.

Sources also told Daily Trust that cracks within the ranks of the minority members also weakened the push to oust Chinda.

“Members of the opposition political parties were divided on the move to remove Chinda. While some were in support, others were not. Members, particularly those from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), pulled out, and that weakened their ranks,” one source said.

On Monday night, some opposition lawmakers held an emergency meeting at the National Assembly to deliberate on Chinda’s fate.

However, the lawmakers who convened the meeting have yet to release any statement on its outcome.

Daily Trust learnt that the meeting failed to achieve its aim due to internal disagreements among the opposition members.

After Tuesday’s plenary, the minority lawmakers reportedly held another round of discussions, where they agreed to resolve their differences following the intervention by the Speaker.

Some aggrieved members had accused Chinda of poor leadership and failing to carry his colleagues along in decision-making within the caucus.

Chinda, a PDP lawmaker from Rivers State and a close ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to obtain an interim injunction restraining any move to remove him from office amid the crisis.

He alleged that the move to unseat him was politically motivated and linked to his association with Wike.

In the suit, Chinda argued that the plot to remove him because of his relationship with the minister violates his right to freedom of association guaranteed under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

However, sources revealed that the root of the crisis goes beyond political alignment.

They said many lawmakers were frustrated by Chinda’s alleged failure to convene a meeting of the minority caucus for nearly two years, a lapse that has reportedly fuelled dissatisfaction within the opposition ranks. (Daily Trust)