VIDEO & PICTURES: Bloody and shameful fight in Rivers State House of Assembly

Rivers state House of Assembly witnessed a very rowdy session today for some minutes after two months of adjournment as pro-Governor Rotimi Amaechi legislators battled five renegade lawmakers rooting for the political opponents of the governor.

VIDEO:



THE JUICY DETAILS:

The minority lawmakers, whose agenda was to impeach the governor made the impeachment of Speaker Otelemaba Amachree and other principal officers the first priority. They thus stole into the House of Assembly at about 8.30 am earlier before the normal sitting of the House and smuggled in a mace.

But they met eight Pro- Amaechi lawmakers including the Speaker Otelemaba Amachree, Chidi Llyod, the majority Leader and six others in the assembly.

Frustrated that their coup was a mission impossible , one of the five rebels, Evans Bapakaye Bipi, went straight to Chidi Llyod’s seat and physically assaulted him.

As Llyod and Bipi were having a fisticuff, the Speaker who stepped in to separate them was also attacked by Bipi.

A free-for -all started, with blows being exchanged by both sides.

Lloyd was injured, while Martins Amaehule another anti-Ameachi Lawmaker representing Obio-Akpor was also injured and rushed to St Patricks Hospital at Ogbunabali in Port Harcourt for treatment.

As the fracas degenerated, some of the pro-Amaechi lawmakers ran for their dear lives because of the many thugs brought into the Assembly premises by Bipi and his group.

The moment was seized by the minority lawmakers, as a member of the group, Victor Ihunwo, representing Port Harcourt constituency stepped into the Speaker’s seat to "Pilot" the affairs.

Martins Amaehule moved the “motion” for the “Impeachment” of the Speaker who has been rushed out after the physical assault. Kelechi Worgu an anti-Amaechi, representing Omuma Constituency “supported” the motion and thereafter announced Bipi as the new “Speaker.”

Governor Amaechi who was alerted about the fracas and the breakdown of law and order at the Assembly, arrived at the Assembly chambers, just in time to hear Evans Babakaya Bipialaka give a vote thanks for his ‘election’ as speaker of four other members.

According to witnesses, Bipialaka on sighting the Governor, ordered some thugs and policemen to “shoot him…shoot him”, pointing at the Governor.

Amaechi was said to have walked towards him and replied: “Shoot me?”

The Governor thereafter ordered his security men that came with him to arrest Bipialaka. But Bipi’s orderly and Policemen who came with him resisted the arrest.

Bipi is the lawmaker who represents Ogu-Bolo Constituency, whose wedding was attended several weeks ago by Mrs Patience Jonathan as a Special Guest of Honour and Mother of the Day.