l Legislators scamper for safety as governor leads DSS, police to storm assembly complex
Tyranny erupts in Akwa Ibom as you read. It manifests like an outbreak which must be contained, a disease which must be cured. Like the dreaded necrosis which must be scalded with hot tong, it disrupts the peace and order of the ‘Land of Promise.’
In a manner characteristic of dreaded medieval anarchists, warring factions of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly cast the legal chamber in turmoil on Tuesday as a faction made up of five All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers clashed with those loyal to Onofiok Luke, the Speaker, at the assembly premises.
The APC legislators reportedly made their way into the House chambers, where they quickly held their ‘sitting’ and passed a “resolution” suspending 11 lawmakers.
The ‘sitting’ was presided over by Nse Ntuen (Essien Udim State Constituency).
The other four lawmakers were Gabriel Toby, Etim Ekpo/Ika; Otobong Ndem, Mkpat Enin; Victor Udofia, Ikono; and Idongesit Ituen, Itu.
But while they were in the chambers, the state governor, People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s Udom Emmanuel, arrived with police officers, officials of the State Security Service (SSS), and some youth loyal to the state government and the PDP to chase away the APC faction.
Photos posted on Facebook showed some of the lawmakers fleeing for safety.
A car was reportedly set ablaze during the fracas.
Pundits argue on both sides of the divide, some supporting the governor against the APC lawmakers even as others blamed him for conducting himself in a manner unbecoming of a state governor – they argued that he shouldn’t have descended so low to unleash terror on the lawmakers.
It would be recalled that lingering crisis in the state assembly snowballed into the sealing of its premises by policemen in the state, who later vacated the premises on Friday.
The house has been embroiled in crisis since some of its members defected to the APC from the PDP. Consequently, Nse Ntuen of the APC and Onofiok Luke of the PDP, are both laying claims to the leadership of the house.
Luke convened the house last week Monday and suspended Ntuen along with four other members. He subsequently declared their seats vacant.
But Ntuen convened another session the next day and announced the suspension of Luke and 11 PDP lawmakers from the 26-man assembly.
The members suspended by Ntuen are Udo Akpan, Felicia Bassey, Nse Essien, Lawrence Udofia, Usoro Akpanusoh, Ime Okon, Friday Iwok, Asuquo Archibong, Mark Esset, Emmanuel Ekpenyong and Aniekan Uko.
He also dissolved all standing committees constituted by Luke and adjourned plenary till December 4.
On Tuesday, however, the five APC lawmakers met and commenced impeachment proceedings against Luke and the governor.
According to NAN, they arrived early at the assembly complex with heavily armed policemen and a mace to commence the impeachment of the governor.
They reportedly chased everyone within the assembly complex out, manhandled Kufre Okon, press secretary to the speaker, and headed straight to the chambers.
But the state governor, Udom, arrived the assembly premises during the opposition’s rowdy session. His arrival was accompanied with gunshots fired by security personnel.
In the melee, Ntuen was reportedly harassed by security personnel in front of the assembly while his vehicle got destroyed as he attempted to escape being mobbed by alleged supporters of the PDP.
