The storm raging in the House of Representatives over the Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Etteh’s refusal to step down, took a new dimension on Saturday, as it has put the job of the House Leader, Chief Tunde Akogun, on the line.
Majority of South-South lawmakers have mobilised to sack him by collecting signatures for contravening the decision of the caucus.
It was gathered that 33 lawmakers out of 55 that constitute the South-South parliamentary caucus had as at Saturday, signed a protest register kept against Akogun.
Akogun, who represents the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency in Edo State, incurred the wrath of his colleagues with his counter press briefing last Wednesday, which denounced an earlier one by the South-South caucus, that called for Etteh’s resignation.
Both press briefings came in the wake of the absurd drama in the House that culminated in the death of Dr. Aminu Safana, a noted pro-Etteh lawmaker from Katsina State.
The South-South caucus leader, Chief Andrew Uchendu, had at the briefing, attended by majority of lawmakers from the zone, said it was imperative for the caucus to break its silence on the crisis in the House.
He cited the findings of the Mr. David Idoko report on the N628m contract scandal, and the Speaker’s apparent insistence to be a judge in her own case, as reasons for the caucus’ decision.
A source said that the next stage was to forward the signed letter to the leadership of the House to replace him, as he was no “longer representing the interest of the zone in the House leadership.”
Uchendu, who confirmed the move of the South-South caucus against Akogun to Sunday Punch, in a telephone interview on Saturday, said the process was still on.
He said that the caucus would meet early this week to ratify the decision before submitting the letter to the House leadership.
Uchendu said, “The caucus properly convened a well attended meeting and took a decision on the crisis in the House. I am the leader of the South-South in the caucus in the House.
“But Akogun is the leader of the House. We had 32 members in attendance at the meeting where the decision was taken.
“The position of the South-South at that meeting was that Madam Speaker should resign. Shortly after our meeting, Akogun countered it at another briefing that had only four lawmakers in attendance.”
Further, the South-South leader noted that states in the zone had commended his caucus for taking the initiative, adding that there was no going back on the move against the House leader.
Akogun first incurred the ire of the South-South lawmakers in July, who accused him of not protecting the interest of the geo-political zone with its loss of the chairmanship of Niger Delta Development Commission, given to a lawmaker from Ondo State.
The ex-colonel was one of the six principal officers of the House sidelined in the award of the controversial contract.
The Tenders Board meeting of July 12 was attended by four of the 10 principal officers of the House.
Besides the South-South zone, North Central caucus had last Wednesday advised the Speaker to resign.
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