Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, on Thursday announced the appointment of Hon. Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa State) as the new Minority Leader of the House.
The announcement was made during plenary following the submission of a letter by members of the Minority Caucus, who unanimously endorsed Agbedi for the position.
According to the letter read by the Speaker, Agbedi’s emergence was the outcome of a consensus decision reached by the minority parties in the House. The caucus described the Bayelsa lawmaker as one of the most experienced legislators in the National Assembly, citing his extensive parliamentary experience and leadership qualities as reasons for his selection.
Agbedi takes over from Hon. Kingsley Chinda, who recently resigned as Minority Leader after emerging as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming election in Rivers State.
The Minority Caucus also announced other changes in its leadership structure. Hon. Abdulsamad Dasuki (ADC, Sokoto State) was named Deputy Minority Leader, while Hon. Manu Mansur Soro (APM, Bauchi State) was appointed Minority Whip.
Meanwhile, Hon. George Ozodinobi, who had been acting as Minority Leader following Chinda’s resignation, reverted to his previous position as Deputy Minority Whip.
The new leadership team is expected to coordinate the activities of opposition lawmakers in the House and provide constructive legislative engagement on issues of national importance.
Political observers believe Agbedi’s emergence reflects the confidence reposed in his legislative experience and capacity to foster unity among members of the Minority Caucus as the House continues its legislative agenda. :::
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