...as Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, rushes to court to stop alleged moves to remove him
The discontent among opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives has taken a new turn as Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, has rushed to court in a bid to stop moves to remove him from office. His leadership has been fingered as one of the reasons the legislature is being tagged as a ‘rubber stamp’ to the executive.
This brewing crisis was fueled by perceived compromises by the minority leadership in the 10th Assembly. And there has been rumours of moves among opposition lawmakers to demand for the removal of the embattled leaders when the House resumes from its vacation next Tuesday, October 7.
The minority leadership under Chinda has been accused of being overly cozy with the All Progressives Congress (APC) government, thus rendering them ineffective in holding the ruling party accountable for pressing issues like crippling hardship, rampant insecurity, and widespread corruption.
The lawmakers’ reluctance to speak out has sparked public outcry, eroding trust in the opposition’s ability to provide robust oversight.
Specifically, Chinda has been accused of failing to convene a single Minority Caucus meeting since the inauguration of the 10th House of Representatives over two years ago. Additionally, he has been criticized for granting media interviews that contradict the collectively agreed position of the PDP, and for allowing the Minority Caucus to be perceived as a lame duck Assembly.
Instead of addressing these allegations with his colleagues, Hon. Chinda has rather opted to take the matter to court, naming the National Assembly, House of Representatives, the Clerk, the Speaker and all minority parties, as defendants, in a move many see as an attempt to stall his potential removal, bordering on self-preservation, rather than the collective good of the legislature and essence of opposition voice in a democracy.
He alleged in the court documents that the move against him stems from his close association with Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Rivers State, who is notably the only PDP member in President Bola Tinubu’s APC-led cabinet.
Some of the opposition lawmakers say that the development appears to be a classic case of the guilty fearing accountability. By rushing to court, Hon. Chinda may be attempting to buy time and stall the removal process, allowing the Minority Leadership to mobilize resources to compromise the process.
Already, it’s alleged that some members, especially from PDP and Labour Party are being wooed with between $2000 and $5000 not to endorse the removal of the Minority Leader.
In a court document dated September 15, 2025, Hon. Chinda is seeking an injunction to restrain the defendants (the National Assembly, House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, all minority parties and Clerk of the House) and their agents from removing him as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Despite this, opposition lawmakers have expressed concerns that the current minority leadership’s apparent compromise and collusion with the ruling party undermine their ability to provide effective oversight and hold the government accountable. This has raised doubts about their commitment to genuine opposition objectives and the interests of the people.
