Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Wednesday amended its Standing Orders to restrict eligibility for principal officer positions to lawmakers with prior legislative experience in the chamber.
The decision followed moves by members of the Minority Caucus to fill the vacancy created by the exit of former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, with the nomination of Ikenga Imo-Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State.
The amendment arose from a motion sponsored by Babajimi Benson, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State.
Benson argued that Order 7, Rule 15 of the House Standing Orders already provides that only lawmakers with “cognate legislative experience” are eligible for appointment as principal officers.
According to him, parliamentary practice globally reserves such positions for experienced legislators in order to preserve institutional memory, strengthen legislative competence and deepen understanding of constitutional and intergovernmental processes.
He proposed that the House formally define “cognate legislative experience” as completion of at least one full four-year term in the House of Representatives.
The proposal was subsequently adopted through a voice vote presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The amendment effectively shuts out first-term lawmakers from emerging as principal officers of the House.
Available records indicate that 60 out of the 82 members of the Minority Caucus endorsed Imo-Ugochinyere for the position of Minority Leader, reflecting strong backing within the bloc.
Meanwhile, sources within the G-60 group told AIT that ongoing consultations with the House leadership had produced a proposed peace arrangement aimed at resolving the dispute over minority leadership positions.
According to the sources, the arrangement would allow the G-60 bloc to participate in the emergence of a consensus candidate for Minority Leader and other minority principal offices.
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