Fracas in Anambra Assembly over ownership of speaker seat

THE two factions of the Anambra State House of Assembly are currently in a fracas over who take possession of the seat of the Speaker at the legislative chambers.

Both factions of the House, led by their separate Speakers had arrived the State Assembly complex at about 11:05 am in the morning, but could not sit for plenary because of the tussle over which of the two Speakers should preside over the legislative business of the day.

TribuneOnline gathered that about 22 out of the 30 members of the House had on the 13 November 2018 impeached Speaker Rita Maduagwu, replacing her with Hon Ikem Uzoezie. But Maduagwu had quickly denied being impeached, while the Uzoezie group insisted she remained impeached.

This had led to the sealing of the House by police authorities to forestall any breach of peace.

But on Thursday morning police unsealed the complex ahead of sitting, but, both factions went inside to administer the House.

Maduagwu had first entered the hallowed chambers and sat on the Speaker’s seat, but later left when she found that only two of her supporters were present.

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As about 2:45 pm when she returned to preside over the House, Uzoezie had already taken the Speaker’s seat, refusing to give way for Maduagwu, causing a huge uproar in the floor of the house.

Two members, Hon Obinna Emenaka, and a pro-Maduagwu lawmaker who recently suffered a vehicle accident, however, engaged a pro Uzoezie lawmaker, Romanus Obi, in a fight but members rallied round to stop the fight.

Emenaka who now uses crutches deployed them in the fight but was quickly dispossessed of them by another Pro Uzoezie lawmaker, Onyebuchi Offor (PDP).

“You are not ashamed of yourself, you were schemed out of the APGA party’s primary election in your area and you could not do anything,” Emenaka hit at Obi.

Obi was, however, urged by members of his faction to keep calm and not to reply.

Our correspondent further gathered that the bone of contention in the Assembly was the refusal of APGA to give tickets to most members of the House.

Information also has it that all the pro-Uzoezie members of the House are those denied ticket by APGA to either return to the House or move over to the House of Representatives Abuja.

As at the time of filing this report, all the lawmakers have refused to leave the chambers, with Uzoezie sitting tight on the Speaker’s seat, while the refusal of the clerk to make available the mace was still stalling.