Mayhem In Rivers House Of Assembly

The political  crisis in  Rivers State degenerated  on  Tuesday as an attempt to impeach the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Otelemaba Amachree, sparked a free-for-all.

Five members of the House opposed to Governor Rotimi Amaechi had engaged about 13 of their colleagues in a fight shortly after the pro-governor lawmakers resisted the move to remove Amachree.

The Leader of the House, Mr. Chidi Lloyd; Michael Chinda  and Martins Amahule, were however, not lucky as they sustained  serious injures during the fracas.

Amachree is known to be one of the governor’s strong supporters in the  crisis ravaging the state since the past four months.

The five anti-Amaechi members, who were present at the House as early as 8am on Tuesday,  had  after procuring  a fake mace,   decided to take charge of the sitting after waiting to no avail for the Speaker and his Deputy, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, to arrive.

It was gathered that one of the anti-Amaechi lawmakers, Mr. Kelechi Wogu,  moved a motion for Amaechree’s removal as the Speaker, a development, which infuriated Lloyd.

Lloyd was said to have dashed out of the Assembly with about four pro-Amaechi’s lawmakers to inform the governor about the development.

Before Lloyd and the  four lawmakers returned to the House, the five  anti-Amaechi members of the Assembly had already impeached Amachree and elected  Evans Bipi as his successor in a sitting that  was  described as a  kangaroo plenary. Amaechree was accused of ineptitude.

It was, however, at the point where Bipi was about giving his acceptance speech that  Amaechi,  Lloyd, Amachree, other lawmakers and security operatives  arrived at the Assembly.