Frederick Agbedi named House Minority Leader

The House of Representatives completed its leadership structure on Thursday, June 11, 2026, with the appointment of new principal officers for the minority caucus. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas announced the selections during a plenary session, naming Frederick Agbedi, a Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from Bayelsa State, as the new Minority Leader.

Agbedi’s appointment fills the vacancy created by the resignation of former Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress to pursue a gubernatorial candidacy. The Speaker also announced Abdulsamad Dasuki of the African Democratic Congress from Sokoto State as Deputy Minority Leader and Mansur Soro of the Allied Peoples Movement from Bauchi State as Minority Whip. According to Abbas, the nominations were made by unanimous consensus of the minority caucus members and were submitted in a formal letter in accordance with the House Standing Orders.

The announcement concluded weeks of consultations and internal disputes within the opposition bloc. Prior to the final decision, a group of lawmakers, including Ikenga Ugochinyere from Imo State, had been nominated for the Minority Leader position. That...