ABUJA, NIGERIA — The brewing leadership tussle within the House of Representatives took a dramatic turn on Friday, June 5, 2026, following the release of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing Honorable Philip Agbese actively signing the endorsement document for Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere’s Minority Leader bid.
The leak of the security footage comes less than twenty-four hours after Agbese, the lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, threw the Green Chamber into a rowdy and chaotic session by claiming his signature had been forged.
See video below:
The Security Tapes Leak
The newly released CCTV footage, which has been widely circulated across media platforms, captures the exact moment Agbese appended his signature to the official roster inside the National Assembly complex.
The video directly contradicts the passionate presentation Agbese made on a point of order during Thursday’s plenary, where he vehemently distanced himself from the pro-Ugochinyere movement and demanded a forensic investigation by the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
Legislative insiders state that the timestamps on the footage align perfectly with the logbooks of the opposition coalition, dealing a severe blow to Agbese’s public denial.
Insiders Fire Back: “He Is a Paid Rabble-Rouser”
Following the release of the video evidence, lawmakers loyal to Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere have intensified their pushback, stating that the tape completely unmasks Agbese’s true motives.
Sources within the National Assembly complex maintained that the signature could never have been forged by anyone within the parliament, describing Agbese’s subsequent denial as a manufactured political script.
- The Patronage Disconnection: Allies of Ugochinyere asserted that “Agbese is a liar” and “a paid rabble-rouser” who has nursed a bitter axe to grind ever since Ugochinyere stopped patronizing his interests and services.
- Credibility Shattered: Pro-Ugochinyere lawmakers declared that after being caught on camera, Agbese is no longer a person to be listened to or taken seriously by the public or the leadership of the House.
- The U-Turn Allegation: Political analysts suggest that Agbese willingly signed the document but was pressured or financially induced by external establishment forces to pull out of the agreement to stall the momentum of the opposition bloc.
Total Disarray in the Opposition Camp
The video leak has escalated the high-stakes battle for the Minority Leadership position, which remains vital for organizing legislative resistance against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) agenda.
With the APC already dealing with its own internal crises—following the recent high-profile defections of three House members to the PRP and ADC—the ruling establishment has been accused of attempting to fracture the opposition’s selection process by sponsoring internal disruptions.
Agbese’s media team has not yet issued a formal statement to explain the video footage or clarify if he intends to retract his forgery allegations before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges commences its formal hearings.
