State Of The Nation: Minority Caucus Replies Reps Spokesperson

Legislature Not ‘Lapdog’ of the Executive, Minority Caucus tells House Spokesman

… Demands apology, threatens to petition Ethics and Privileges Committee

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has raised   grave concern with the statement credited to the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, in which he purported to speak for the “House” in response to the legitimate concerns raised by the Minority Caucus on the state of insecurity and worsening hardship in the nation.

The Minority Caucus said it is the constitutional duty of Parliament to hold the Executive to account, emphasizing that the current President, while in opposition, rightly declared that _“the buck stops at the President’s table.” That constitutional position has not changed.  Thus, the legislature must never look away when the country bleeds.

The Caucus made the admonition in a statement signed by its spokesman, Afam Victor Ogene, saying it’s the duty of the federal government to ensure that it fulfill all the promises made to Nigerians.

According to the lawmakers,  the Executive has repeatedly failed to honour commitments made to the Nigerian people through the Parliament. But rather than demand accountability, the House Spokesman has chosen to defend the indefensible.

The Caucus declares, unequivocally, that Parliament is not, and will never be, a lapdog of the Executive.

“We will keep speaking for Nigerians, even if the Majority Caucus elects to capitulate at the altar of blind partisanship, shredding the sacred doctrine of checks and balances, upon which democracy either bleeds or thrives,” the Caucus said.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Minority Caucus states as follows:

1. The Minority Caucus views with grave concern the procedural impropriety exhibited by the House Spokesman, which sets a dangerous precedent for parliamentary conduct.

2. The deployment of the phrase – “House Notes”- in his statement is improper, misleading, and constitutes a flagrant breach of the collective privileges of Members. For the record, the last sitting of the House was on Monday, 15th June, 2026. The Minority Caucus addressed the media on Wednesday, 17th June, 2026. No subsequent sitting, meeting, or resolution of the House was convened to authorize a collective position on the matter.

3. While the House Spokesman is at liberty to speak for the Speaker, the House Leadership, or the Majority Caucus, he possesses no mandate to purport to speak for the entire House or to misappropriate the views of the Minority Caucus. Such conduct is a clear violation of established parliamentary procedure and an affront to the rights and privileges of Members of the 10th House of Representatives.

4.  The matters raised by the Minority Caucus fall within the constitutional oversight functions of the National Assembly over the Executive. With numerous spokespersons in the Presidency, it is not the duty of the House Spokesman to embark on an unsolicited defense of the Executive.

5. This conduct reinforces public perception of the 10th House as an appendage of the Executive. Sections 14(2)(b) and 88 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) mandate Parliament to ensure the security and welfare of the people and to expose corruption, inefficiency, and waste. The Minority Caucus will not abdicate this sacred duty.

6. At an emergency virtual meeting held on Friday, 19th June, 2026, the Minority Caucus unanimously resolved as follows:

1.  To demand a public apology from the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, for misrepresenting the position of the House and for contempt of the Minority Caucus. Failure to render such apology within 72 hours will compel the Caucus to petition the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for appropriate redress.
2.  To formally raise, upon resumption of plenary, the issue of persistent non-implementation of the National Budget since 2024. The Caucus notes with alarm that defense and security-related Ministries, Departments, and Agencies have recorded less than 30% budget implementation. There is a direct correlation between the non-payment of local contractors, breakdowns of operational logistics, and  escalating insecurity across the country. The Armed Forces can not sustainably prosecute campaigns against heavily-armed insurgents under such fiscal constraints.

The Minority Caucus will keep speaking out for Nigerians, as the Constitution demands. That is not partisanship; it is parliamentary duty. The legislature is the soul of democracy because of its sacred responsibility to the people. If the Majority Caucus chooses to forget this, the Minority Caucus will not continue to abdicate this sacred responsibility.

Signed:

Hon. Afam Victor Ogene

_For: The Minority Caucus,

House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria_