Lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts resorted to fisticuff at the chamber of the Benue state house of assembly on Tuesday.
Trouble started when Terkimbi Kyange, the speaker, read a letter in which APC demanded to be given the slot of the majority leader because it has a lead over the PDP following the defection of Nick Eworo, formerly a PDP lawmaker, to its party.
Eworo left PDP after he was expelled from the party.
However, the PDP lawmakers rejected the position of APC, saying Eworo’s seat was supposed to be declared vacant in line with section 190 of the 1999 constitution.
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According to the PDP lawmakers, the constitution stipulates that a member who defects to another party should lose his seat.
The development led to hot exchange between the lawmakers until the speaker intervened by failing to declare Eworo’s seat vacant.
At that point, the lawmakers resorted to physical combat, while the sergeant at-arm escaped with the mace.
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After about 30 minutes, normalcy seems to be restored but Kyange adjourn the sitting till Thursday to apparently prevent further disorderliness.
The house comprises 29 members.
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