The member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Hon. Frederick Agbedi, has been named the new Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
His emergence followed the resignation of the former Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda of Rivers State, who recently left the Peoples Democratic Party for the ruling All Progressives Congress, a move that created a leadership gap within the opposition bloc in the Green Chamber.
The announcement was made on Thursday after a letter from the minority caucus was presented during plenary by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas of the Tajudeen Abbas. The caucus stated that its members had agreed by consensus on new principal officers to fill vacant positions.
Reading the letter, the Speaker confirmed the nominations: Hon. Frederick Agbedi as Minority Leader, Hon. Mansur Soro of the Allied Peoples Movement as Minority Whip, and Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki of the African Democratic Congress as Deputy Minority Leader.
With the appointments, the opposition leadership structure in the House of Representatives was officially completed, drawing applause from lawmakers.
Agbedi, a veteran legislator who has served since 2011, is expected to coordinate opposition activities and represent minority parties in key legislative debates. His long experience in the chamber is seen as a stabilizing factor for the caucus amid ongoing political realignments.
Speaker Abbas congratulated the new principal officers and assured them of the House leadership’s cooperation in delivering legislative goals for the 10th Assembly.
The reshuffle comes at a time of increasing political movement and defections, which have reshaped the balance within the National Assembly and intensified competition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Following the announcement, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere reportedly withdrew from consideration for the Minority Leader position, citing revised House rules and eligibility requirements.