How it Happened When the PDP Rebels Visited House of Representative

It is no longer news that shameless members of
the House of Representatives put up a show of
shame yesterday, engaging in physical combat
when seven governors loyal to the New Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) visited the National
Assembly in Abuja.
While the visit to the Senate ended without any
ugly incident, the reverse was the case at the
House of Reps. Trouble started when Hon. Henry
Ofongo, from President Goodluck Jonathan’s
home state, Bayelsa, rose to vehemently oppose
the visit.
The visit had started on a bright note, with
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal,
and other principal officers receiving the
delegation led by the National Chairman of the
New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, in Room 0.28.
In the delegation were governors Aliyu Wamakko
(Sokoto); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Rabiu
Kwankwaso (Kano); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Sule
Lamido (Jigawa); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); and
Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara).
However, in the Huse chambers, as Baraje was
introduced and asked to state the purpose of
their visit, Ofongo, followed by Betty Apiafi
(Rivers); Bethel Amadi (Imo); Kingsley Chinda
(Rivers); and Bitrus Kaze (Plateau) tried to disrupt
proceedings. Shouting “point of order!”, “point of
order!”, Ofongo charged in the direction of the
high table. He insisted that the meeting must not
hold because he did not believe that many of the
people at the venue were PDP members.
Ofogo was punched and shoved by pro-Baraje
Reps and had his jacket pulled off.
Most of the members who charged at Ofongo are
from Kano State. They include Aminu Suleiman,
Baballe Murktar, Ali Madakaki and Ado Dogoa.
Dakuku Peterside and Andrew Uchendu, both
from Rivers State, also shoved Ofongo, preventing
him from moving close to the high table in his
desperation to disrupt the visit.
Pro-Jontahan and Bamanga Tukur lawmakers
rushed in defence of Ofongo, resulting in a free-
for-all during which Ini Udoka from Akwa Ibom
State lifted a chair but was prevented from
throwing it. Another Akwa Ibom rep, Emmanuel
Okon, also joined the fighting on the side of
Ofongo.
The meeting ended hurriedly as tension
escalated.