APC lawmakers blame governor for House’s invasion

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly yesterday blamed Governor Udom Emmanuel for the invasion of the House by suspected thugs.

The legislators alleged that the governor led a team of security men and youths, who they suspected to be Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs, to the House to dislodge a faction, led by the member representing Essien Udim Constituency, Hon Nse Ntuen.

Ntuen said following the invasion, he and other lawmakers in his camp were prevented from sitting.

But, Information Commissioner Charles Udoh dismissed the allegation as “shocking” and “embarrassing”, describing the governor as “a man of peace who abhors thuggery and violence”.

The governor, who arrived at the Assembly complex about 10 am, amidst tight security, headed for the chambers. The security men who accompanied him allegedly fired gun shots and manhandled members of the Nse Ntuen faction injuring them.

According to eye witnesses, the factional lawmakers scaled the fence of the House to escape the onslaught by thugs and security aides.

Sources said the invasion was to forestall a possible impeachment notice on the governor from the APC lawmakers, led by Ntuen faction, suspended 11 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators.

According to the APC lawmakers, the governor, accompanied by some commissioners and aides, ensured that Hon Onofiok Luke’s faction, made up of the remaining PDP members, sat in plenary. He later had a private audience with the embattled Speaker.

Emmanuel was said to have proceeded to the House after his Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyangeyen, had failed to stop the factional members from sitting, having been rebuffed by the factional speaker and his members.

The Ntuen faction had in their sitting dissolved all the House standing committees, having suspended 11 members.

The House of Assembly was thrown into a crisis on November 19,  when Speaker Luke declared the seats of six PDP members who had defected to the APC vacant. Luke said he was acting on the provisions of Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, following the decision of an Uyo Division of the Federal High Court, empowering him to declare vacant the seat of Idongesit Ituen (Itu State Constituency).

The sacked members complained that their cases were pending in various courts, where they had obtained injunctions they served on the Speaker.

According to the aggrieved lawmakers, the speaker ignored all the pending cases and went ahead to declare the seats vacant.

The six PDP members who had defected to the APC later that day met in the Legislative chambers and impeached Speaker Luke.

APC chieftain Obong Michael Udo described the invasion as “despicable, illogical and an unwarranted affront on the separation of power” in a democracy.

Udo cautioned the governor against throwing the entire state into chaos “in his second term desperation”.

He said: “Governor Udom Emmanuel should realise that we are practicing a democracy where the rule of law is paramount. He should understand that one action such as the one he embarked on today is capable of throwing the entire state into a needless chaos and anarchy.

“The reason for laws in any society is to avoid anarchy. The Federal Government should caution Governor Emmanuel to allow the legislature settle whatever their problems may be and not to become part of the problem.”

But, rejecting the claim by the APC legislators, Udoh said those who invaded the House were suspected APC thugs dressed in military uniforms and protected by the police on the order of the Police Commissioner.

He said the governor visited the House to restore normalcy as the chief security officer of the state, adding that he has moral and constitutional responsibilities to protect lives and property.

Udoh said: “Prior to this, 13 APC thugs dressed in military uniforms and armed with AK47 rifles were apprehended by law abiding citizens and handed over to the police. However, it defies logic that these hoodlums were set free without due process of investigations by the Officer in Charge of Quick Response Squad in Akwa Ibom State, Superintendent Abdulkareem Suleiman.”

“The driver of the vehicle that conveyed the thugs dressed in military uniforms.”

The commissioner said a section of the perimeter fence of the Assembly complex was pulled down in the night two days ago by suspected APC thugs as a prelude to the invasion.

He said the governor had explained the situation in the state to reporters at a briefing.

He added: “Akwa Ibom people are encouraged to remain calm and law abiding while necessary modalities are put in place to bring all perpetrators to book.”