Barely 24 hours after the inauguration of the House
Representative Standing Committee by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, two House
members started a fistfight in the lobby of the National Assembly. The
fight began after a heated exchange of words after Dogara loyalists
moved to impeach the House Majority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila.
The confrontation was between the Chairman of the Committee on
Federal Capital Territory Herman Hembe, and the House Representative
from Jigawa State Aliu Magaji. Both lawmakers are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The fight was sparked after Mr. Hembe’s claim that he would sooner “die” than allow an attempt to remove Mr. Dogara as Speaker of the House.
Mr. Magaji overheard the claim and rebuffed his colleague for making such a statement. Mr. Hembe then strode towards Mr. Magaji and slapped his fellow lawmaker, and was himself slapped in return.
Before the situation could degenerate into a full-blown brawl the Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, intervened and pacified the two men. Deputy Speaker Lasun then led the APC caucus into a closed door meeting in Hearing Room 1.
Herman Hembe (House Representative) During the meeting the Chief Whip, Ado Garba Alhassan, debunked the alleged plan to remove the Majority Leader noting that it was not on the agenda.
It will be recalled that earlier reported on the boycott by APC loyalist lawmakers of the inaugurations of the Committees, as well as the press briefing in which these lawmakers called for the Speaker to reverse the appointment of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to certain “choice” Committees.
It was learnt that five members of this group tendered resignation letters for their appointments as Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of Committees on the floor of the House in protest of the concession of “strategic” Committees to members of the PDP.
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