By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

A fresh twist has emerged in the contest for the Minority Leader position in the House of Representatives, as lawmakers on Wednesday amended the House Standing Orders to bar first-term members from occupying principal leadership positions.

The amendment is widely seen as a major setback for the aspiration of Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, who has been a leading contender for the role following the exit of former Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda.

Before the change, Ugochinyere was reportedly backed by about 60 of the 82 members of the Minority Caucus, placing him in a strong position for the leadership slot.

However, during plenary, the House adopted an amendment sponsored by Hon. Babajimi Benson, which revised the eligibility criteria for principal officers.

Benson argued that Order Seven, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders already implies that only lawmakers with “cognate legislative experience” should occupy principal offices, stressing the need to preserve institutional memory and strengthen legislative effectiveness.

The amendment further defined “cognate legislative experience” as completion of at least one full four-year term in the House, effectively disqualifying first-term lawmakers from principal leadership positions. It also stated that no alternative interpretation of the requirement would be allowed.

The development immediately reshaped the Minority Leadership race, narrowing the field of eligible aspirants and altering earlier alignments within the caucus.

Political observers say the move represents a significant setback for Ugochinyere, whose candidacy had gained momentum with the support of the G-60 bloc of lawmakers.

Reactions within the Minority Caucus have been mixed, with some members describing the amendment as a necessary institutional safeguard, while others view it as a targeted move to influence the leadership outcome.

Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes negotiations are reportedly ongoing to prevent a deeper split within the opposition ranks. Sources say discussions are underway on a possible compromise arrangement that would allow the G-60 bloc and Ugochinyere to play a role in selecting a consensus candidate for Minority Leader and other principal minority offices.

Attention has now shifted to Ugochinyere, who is expected to respond to the development, a reaction that may determine whether the caucus moves toward reconciliation or further internal contestation.

The amendment marks one of the most significant changes to House leadership rules in recent years and is expected to reshape power dynamics within the 10th House of Representatives.