Are we your slaves? - Senator Tony Nwoye, challenges Senate President Godswill Akpabio

There was an heated exchange in the Senate on Tuesday, November 21, between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Tony Nwoye.

During seating, Akpabio announced Abba Moro of the Peoples Democratic Party as the new Senate Minority Leader and Osita Ngwu of the PDP as the Minority Chief Whip, which led to an uproar among the Senators.

Displeased by the announcement, the Labour Party caucus in the upper chamber accused Akpabio of not carrying them along.

According to the Senate President, 41 minority senators signed the document endorsing Moro as minority leader while 30 backed Ngwu for the minority whip seat.

However, the Labour Party senators argued that they were also entitled to one of the minority positions. While some of them hauled verbal assault at Akpabio, others were ready to engage in physical assault with him for denying them one of the minority seats.

Senator Okechukwu Ezea lamented the absence of his party in the minority leadership, describing the arrangement as an injustice against other minority parties.

Another LP Senator, Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North, accused Akpabio of picking minority leaders for the opposition parties.

"How can you be choosing minority leaders for us? Are we your slaves?” Nwoye tackled Akpabio

Akpabio on his part said he only announced the names given to him by the minority senators, of which the PDP had the majority.

According to him, all that was needed to produce a leader was a simple majority, saying that “41 minority senators signed for Abba Moro and 30 signed for Osita Ngwu." Meaning they have the majority.

“It will be unfair for me not to announce them after getting a majority of support. My job is not to work with individual opinion but with the majority of positions,” he said.