South-east PDP caucus asks Ayu to nominate Uche Ekwunife as senate minority leader

The south-east Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the senate has asked Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the party, to nominate Uche Ekwunife, lawmaker representing Anambra central, as the minority leader in the upper legislative chamber.

Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south, had recently resigned his membership of the PDP and stepped down from his role as minority leader.

Abaribe dumped the party after withdrawing from the PDP governorship primary in Abia, describing the exercise as a “charade.”

In a letter dated June 1, Chimaroke Nnamani, Theodore Orji, Sam Egwu, Ike Ekweremadu, Obinna Ogba, Oyenwuchi Francis, Michael Nnachi and Chukwuka Utazi — serving senators from the south-east — said they want Ekwunife to replace Abaribe.

“Please accept the warm compliments from senators of the south-east zone as we congratulate you on the successful and well-organised primaries and national convention of our great party,” the letter reads.

“Following the resignation of our senate minority leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia) from the PDP last week, we the underlisted PDP Senators of the south-east zone hereby nominate Distinguished Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife as a replacement for Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe as the position was zoned to the South East.

“Sir, recall that in February 2022, following the defection of former Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (Tarabe South), from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC), the North East minority caucus met immediately and nominated Senator Shuaibu Isa Lau (Taraba North) from the same zone as the new Deputy Minority Leader.

“Note also, when Senator Sahabi Ya’u (Zamfara North) on July 21, 2021, defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ibrahim Danbaba (PDP, Sokoto South) was immediately nominated to replace him as the Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate.

“Your Excellency, we humbly request that you kindly forward the name of distinguished Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the senate minority leader.”