Minority Leader: Sharing Formula Emerges As Rep. Oluwole Oke Withdraws

The four minority caucus leadership positions have reportedly been shared among the regions as Oluwole Oke (PDP Osun) announced his withdrawal from the race to be the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

Recall that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is from the North-West, and the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, is from the South-East.

In recent weeks, there have been strong indications that Kingsley Chinda (PDP/Rivers), Oluwole Oke (PDP/Osun), Bamidele Salam (PDP/Osun) and Unyime Idem (PDP/Akwa Ibom, are interested in the minority leader position as they have intensified lobbying since Tuesday, after the election of the speaker.

While that continues, it has been gathered that the Northern region has taken the Deputy Minority Leader and Minority Whip slots, while the South is to take the Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip slots.

These leadership positions and others have reportedly been shared across regional, zonal, and party lines by the opposition parties.

“We have already given the Labour Party one slot, the NNPP also got a slot, while the PDP has two. Out of the two taken by the PDP, there is one in the North and the other in the South. The agreement is this: two for the South and two for the North. Let the North go and decide where their two will come from, while the South decides on zonal sharing”, a lawmaker told the Punch.

“The North-West will present an NNPP candidate for the Deputy Minority Leader, while the North-East has adopted Ali Isa of the PDP. The Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip will come from the South. The Deputy Whip will by default go to the South-East because that is the base of the LP. Either the South-South or the South-West will produce the Minority Leader.”

While that speculation is waxing stronger in the political corridors, Oke has decided to withdraw from his aspiration to become the minority leader despite being more or less a frontrunner for the position from the South-West.

He told the Punch, “I have withdrawn from the race”.

As it stands, Unyime Idem from Akwa Ibom State (PDP) and Kingsley Chinda from Rivers State (PDP) seem to be the strongest contenders for the minority leader position in the House of Representatives.