Proceedings in the House of Representatives were briefly thrown into turmoil on Thursday following a heated disagreement over the leadership of the opposition caucus, amid allegations of document forgery and attempts to sway the contest for Minority Leader.
The tension arose when Hon. Philip Agbese, who represents the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, raised a matter of personal privilege on the floor. He accused fellow lawmaker, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, of allegedly attaching his signature to a document without consent, purportedly endorsing Ugochinyere’s bid for the Minority Leader position.
Agbese told lawmakers he was surprised to come across an online document bearing his name and signature, which he said falsely suggested his support for the leadership aspiration. He clarified that while he had engaged in consultations with various lawmakers, including Ugochinyere, such discussions were strictly related to constituency and legislative matters and never involved endorsement of any nomination.
“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery for my signature to be used for purposes for which it was not intended,” Agbese declared, calling on the House leadership to investigate the matter and curb what he described as attempts to damage his reputation.
He also rejected circulating social media claims alleging that lawmakers received $50,000 to back a particular candidate, insisting, “My constituents have been calling me. I have not received any amount of money… This is my integrity.”
In response, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen acknowledged the complaint and assured lawmakers that the issue would be handled appropriately. He appealed for restraint, noting that a closed-door meeting of minority lawmakers had already been convened later in the day to address the leadership dispute.
