A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. George Ibezimako Ozodinobi, has thrown the leadership of the House into confusion following claims of having influenced the insertion of N19B into the federal budget.

Ozodinobi, who first came into the House in 2003, made a dramatic return 20 years after under the wings of the Labour Party tsunami of the 2023 general elections.

Incidentally, Ozodinobi who emerged as deputy minority whip in the 10th Assembly led by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, has been largely anonymous, never once standing up for either Labour Party or Minority Caucus rights.

A recent viral video had captured Hon. Ozodinobi boasting before his kinsmen as having gone to Abuja, not to engage in “doing show.”

Speaking in his native Igbo language, Hon. Ozodinobi said:” …I will injure people. If anyone looks at my budget…it is not something to be recorded. I am a Leader(and so) I know what I am doing.

“I don’t want to go to Abuja and be doing show. I have in this present budget, N19 Billion…N19 Billion, so…” the lawmaker boasted.

The lawmaker, who is also the representative of Mr. Peter Obi’s Dunukofia/Njikoka/Anaocha Federal Constituency, spoke at the Iwa-Iji(New Yam festival) of the Igwe of Nimo(his home community).

Following the release of the video, hitherto disgruntled members who were already at their wit’s end following the non-payment of local contractors, and the collective tag of being President Bola Tinubu’s lackeys – in the face of timidity by the leadership of the minority caucus in confronting ‘bad’ policies of the government – have, allegedly, resolved to effect a total overhaul of the minority leadership when the lawmakers resume from their annual recess later this month.

“I can conveniently tell you that members, especially from the minority, have started collecting signatures long before this latest scandal broke. All the Hon. Ozodinobi gaffe would do is perhaps serve as added fuel to the fire of discontent already brewing,” one opposition lawmaker said.