Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The House of Representatives has confirmed the emergence of Hon Frederick Agbedi, who represents Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, as the new Minority Leader of the 10th Assembly.
Agbedi’s appointment was formally announced on Thursday during plenary following a leadership reshuffle within the opposition caucus in the Green Chamber.
The change became necessary after the former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda of Rivers State, resigned his position following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, leaving a leadership gap in the minority bloc.
During proceedings, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read a letter submitted by the minority caucus confirming a consensus decision on the replacement of vacant principal offices reserved for opposition parties.
In the letter, lawmakers stated that they had agreed on new nominees to fill key positions, restoring the structure of the minority leadership.
The three vacant position were the Minority Leader, which Hon Frederick Agbedi was nominated to occupy, the minority whip, with Hon Mansur Soro (APM, Bauchi) as the person nominated and Deputy Minority Leader, with Hon Abdussamad Dasuki (ADC, Sokoko) nominated
Following the announcement, Abbas said the completion of the leadership lineup would strengthen legislative coordination within the chamber and congratulated the appointees.
“Honourable colleagues, today the body of principal officers is complete, and I want to seize this opportunity on behalf of the whole entire House to congratulate the three people and to wish them all the best in their new positions.”
With his new role, Agbedi is expected to lead opposition lawmakers in coordinating minority positions on legislative debates and national policy issues.
A veteran lawmaker who has served since 2011, he is regarded as one of the most experienced members within the House.
Shortly after the announcement, Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere, who had been previously nominated for the Minority Leader position, withdrew from the race, citing revised House rules governing eligibility for principal offices.
The restructuring comes amid ongoing political realignments in the National Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections, with lawmakers describing the new leadership as a move to stabilise the opposition bloc.
Speaker Abbas also assured that the House leadership would work closely with the new minority officers to advance the legislative agenda of the chamber.
