Isaac Samuel
A fresh crisis is brewing in the House of Representatives as opposition lawmakers intensify moves to unseat the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, over allegations of compromise and poor leadership.
The minority caucus is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting in Abuja on Monday to deliberate on the lawsuit filed by Chinda to stop the alleged plot to remove him from office.
The meeting is coming 24 hours before the
House reconvenes from recess on Tuesday, October 7.
A notice of the meeting, issued on Sunday and jointly signed by Agbedi Frederick (PDP), Afam Ogene (Labour Party), Muktar Umar-Zakari (NNPP) and Peter Uzokwe (YPP), said members would review recent developments in the minority leadership and respond to the court action instituted by Chinda.
The agenda, according to the notice, includes “Response to the lawsuit filed by House Minority Leader, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda, against all minority parties” and “Any Other Business (AOB).”
It reads: “To all Minority Members of the House of Representatives.
“You are hereby invited to an emergency meeting to discuss recent developments in the minority leadership, particularly to review the lawsuit instituted by Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, against all members of minority parties in the 10th House of Representatives.”
Chinda, who represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State, filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1936/2025 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to halt moves by some opposition lawmakers to oust him over his perceived closeness to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Listed as 1st to 12th defendants in the suit were the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, PDP, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Social Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress and Young Progressive Party.
He argued that his removal would amount to a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of association and urged the court to restrain the defendants including the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Speaker, the House Clerk, and six minority parties from taking any steps to remove him.
The minority parties involved in the suit are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Young Progressive Party (YPP).
It was gathered that opposition lawmakers accuse Chinda of aligning too closely with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying this has weakened the caucus’ ability to hold the government accountable on issues such as rising poverty, insecurity, and corruption.
The move to oust Chinda, according to sources, stems from growing dissatisfaction among opposition lawmakers, who accuse his leadership of reducing the legislature to a mere “rubber stamp” of the executive.
Some minority lawmakers believe Chinda has been compromised and is no longer capable of providing the strong, independent leadership needed to hold the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) accountable.
They have reportedly agreed to initiate his removal when the House reconvenes from recess on Tuesday, October 7.
Under his watch, the minority leadership has faced criticism for being too cosy with the APC-led government.
Chinda is also accused of neglecting his responsibilities to the caucus, including failing to convene a single minority meeting since the 10th House was inaugurated more than two years ago.
Chinda has also come under fire for making public statements that contradict the official position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and for allowing the opposition bloc to be perceived as weak and ineffective.
In the suit, the minority leader listed the composition of minority parties in the House to buttress his case, noting that the Labour Party (LP) has 22 members, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) 15, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) five, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) two, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) one, and the Young Progressive Party (YPP) one.
He argued that as the PDP)commands the highest number of seats among the minority blocs, it is constitutionally and procedurally entitled to produce the Minority Leader.
According to him, lawmakers from all minority parties had duly nominated him for the position, a role he has held since the inauguration of the 10th House of Representatives.
The embattled lawmaker insisted that the only reason cited for his planned removal is his association with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike who is a fellow PDP member from the Rivers State chapter.
He maintained that such association does not constitute a valid ground for his ouster.
Chinda further noted that the Eleventh Edition of the House Standing Orders clearly spells out the procedure for removing any principal officer.
It stipulates that after due notice is given to the House, a change in leadership whether in the majority or minority can only be effected by a majority vote of members from the respective parties.
He stressed that no such notice has been issued and that, with the House currently on recess since July 23, 2025, most minority lawmakers are outside the country, making it impossible to muster the required majority for any legitimate leadership change.
Despite this, Chinda alleged that some minority lawmakers, particularly within the PDP, have been holding clandestine meetings and lobbying members of other opposition parties to support his removal before the resumption of plenary.
