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Barring any last minute change of plans, the House of Representatives, is set to suspend factional leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus, Kingsley Chinda, for 90 days, for  flouting the rules. It was gathered that this is part of the recommendation of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which is scheduled to be laid before the House anytime from now. Others pencilled for suspension are Chukwuka Onyema, Yakubu Barde and Ajibola Muraina,  deputy leader, whip and deputy whip  of the PDP caucus respectively.

Chinda, who represents Obi/Akpor Federal consistency of Rivers State, has being having a running battle with House leadership, since July 3, when Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila announced Ndudi Elumelu from Delta State as minority leader. The PDP had nominated the Rivers-born lawmaker as its choice for the position of minority leader. But Gbajabiamila, while announcing Elumelu as minority, said the rules of the House did not empower political parties to nominate caucus leadership. The opposition party later designated Chinda, Onyema, Barde and Muraina as leaders of its caucus, a decision the Elumelu faction protested. However, following a point of privilege raised by a member of the PDP,  Ben Igbakpa, the House  referred the quartet  to the Ethics and Privileges Committee, for  issuing statements as leaders of the PDP caucus in the Green Chamber, against the rules of the House. A member of the PDP in the House told Daily Sun, yesterday, that the report of the Ethics and Privileges Committee, which allegedly recommended a 90-day suspension for Chinda and his team will be laid before the House this week. But Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, told Daily Sun that he was unaware of any plan to suspend Chinda and his team, as the report of the Ethics and Privileges Committee has not been laid before the House. Efforts to reach the Chairman of the Ethics and Privileges Committee, Kolawole Lawal,  for comments was not not successful as his mobile line was not reachable as the time of filing this report. Also, efforts to reach Chinda was unsuccessful as he neither responded to calls to his mobile line nor replied SMS and WhatsApp messages.