Attempt by Factional Speakers to Preside over Anambra Assembly Ends in Fight

Attempts by factions of the Anambra State House of Assembly led by Hon Ikem Uzoezie and Mrs. Rita Maduagwu to take possession of the seat of the Speaker on Thursday resulted in a fight in the chambers of the assembly.

Both factions of the assembly, led by their separate speakers, had arrived at the state assembly complex at about 10a.m. but could not seat for plenary because of the tussle over which of the two speakers should preside over the meeting.

About 22 out of the 30 members of the assembly had three weeks ago removed Speaker Maduagwu, replacing her with Uzoezie. But Maduagwu had quickly denied being sacked, while the Uzoezie faction insisted she remained sacked.

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

But at about 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday, police unsealed the complex ahead of yesterday sitting, but both factions insisted on their choice of speaker to administer the assembly.

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

As at 2:30 p.m. when she returned to preside over the assembly, Uzoezie had already taken the Speaker's seat, refusing to give way for Maduagwu, causing uproar in the assembly.

Hon Obinna Emenaka, a pro-Maduagwu lawmaker who recently suffered a vehicle accident, however, engaged a pro-Uzoezie lawmaker, Romanus Obi, in a fight, but other members stopped 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.

"You are not ashamed of yourself, you were schemed out of the party's primary election in your area and you could not do anything," Emenaka yelled at Obi.

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

THISDAY gathered that the bone of contention in the assembly was the refusal of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to give tickets to most members of the assembly.

It was gathered that all the pro-Uzoezie members of the assembly are those denied ticket by the party to either return to the assembly or to the House of Representatives in 2019 elections.

As at the time of filling 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 Uzoezie's attempt to preside over the assembly.

Maduagwu was however escorted out of the chambers by her supporters, after pleading and physical attempt to oust Uzoezie from the Speaker's seat failed.

APGA had earlier fingered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the instigator of the crisis, but while reacting to the allegation recently, the state Publicity Secretary of PDP, Nnamdi Nwangwu, asked APGA to look inwards for reasons for the crisis in the party.

Nwangwu last Wednesday described APGA's allegation as ridiculous and unfounded, adding that the party was suffering from internal bleeding, resulting from its "skewed primaries."

He said: "APGA is now pointing fingers at PDP for its internal problems when it is common knowledge that the failure of APGA to conduct credible primaries is responsible for where the party finds itself today.

"The PDP has nothing to benefit from being part of the alleged plot to remove the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano.

"The spurious allegation against the PDP was meant to distract the party as the 2019 state and National Assembly elections draw closer."