Uche Ekwunife Nominated As Senate Minority Leader

The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial district, Senator Uche Ekwunife (Iyom) has been nominated as the new Senate Minority Leader.

This follows the recent defection of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The nomination was conveyed in a letter to the the PDP National Chairman, Iyorcha Ayu by the South East PDP Senate Caucus.

In the letter dated June 1, eight senators of the South East caucus including Senator Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu West) , Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu East) , Senator T.A Orji (Abia Central), Senator Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North), Senator Obinna Ogba ( Ebonyi Central), Senator Onyewuchi Francis ( Imo East), and Senator Michael Nnachi ( Ebonyi South) appended their signatures in support of the nomination.

The letter read in part: “Following the resignation of our senate minority leader, Senator Enyinnnaya Abaribe (Abia) from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP last week, we the under listed PDP senators of the South East zone hereby nominate Distinguished Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife (Iyom) as a replacement for Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe for the position zoned to the South East.

“Your Excellency, we humbly request that you kindly forward the name of Distinguished Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife to the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan as the Senate Minority Leader.”

Ekwunife was last Friday nominated unopposed to contest the 2023 election as PDP Senatorial candidate for Anambra Central. She scored 331 of the 334 votes cast at the Senatorial primary election held in Awka, the Anambra state capital.

She is presently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.