Why did the 7 Rebel PDP governors visit the house (Was the fracas that ensued what they wanted)

Fighting erupted in  the House of Representatives on Tuesday when   seven governors loyal to the New Peoples Democratic Party visited  the House in Abuja.

A member of the House  from Bayelsa State, Mr. Henry Ofongo, was punched and shoved repeatedly by his colleagues for daring to  oppose  the visit. His  jacket  was pulled off  by some members.

Most of the members who crowded Ofongo, were from Kano State, including Mr. Aminu Suleiman, Mr. Baballe Murktar, Mr. Ali Madakaki and Mr. Ado Dogoa.

Mr. Dakuku Peterside and Andrew Uchendu, both from Rivers State, also shoved Ofongo, preventing him from moving close to the high table.

In the ensuing fracas, other members , who were in solidarity with Ofongo, attempted to throw chairs.

One of the lawmakers, who lifted a chair but was prevented from throwing it, was Mr. Ini Udoka from Akwa Ibom State.

Mr. Emmanuel Okon, also from Akwa Ibom State, joined the fighting on the side of Ofongo.

Udoka and Okon, like Afongo,  are  pro- Bamanga Tukur-led  National Working Committee of the PDP lawmakers.

The governors in the New PDP that visited the lawmakers were  Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); and Abdul-Fatai Ahmed (Kwara).

They arrived the House  in company with the National Chairman of the New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje.

The Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, and other principal officers received them in  Room 0.28.

Other principal officers in attendance were the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha; the Majority Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola; the Chief Whip, Mr. Ishaka Bawa;  the Deputy Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor; and  the Deputy Whip, Mr. Murktar Ahmed.

As Baraje was introduced and asked to state the purpose of their visit, Afongo stormed the venue with  Betty Apiafi (Rivers); Bethel Amadi (Imo); Kingsley Chinda (Rivers); Bitrus Kaze (Plateau).

Afongo shouted “point of order”, “point of order” and charged in the direction of the high table in a bid to register his protest.

He  said the meeting must not hold because he did not believe that many of the people at the venue were PDP members.

But, the pro-Baraje members stopped him, shoving and throwing punches in the process. Afongo too responded with punches.

When Baraje ignored the disruption and tried to proceed with his speech, more  protesters trooped in, chanting anti-New PDP slogans.

They sang, “No, way, no way; PDP, Tukur; PDP, Tukur.”

The loud protest drowned the speech  on the efforts  being made  to “address the culture of impunity in the PDP.”

One of the protesters, Apiafi, complained that the House was supporting “illegality.”

She fumed, “This is illegality; we have only one PDP, they should stop this rubbish. How can we legalise it in the House? The Speaker should not do this (receive  the  Baraje  delegation).

Kaze, who is from Plateau State, also said, “Tukur is the only known Chairman of the PDP.”

A lawmaker from Kogi State, Mr. Tajudeen Yusuf, described the visit as “unnecessary” because it would worsen the party crisis.

Outside the venue, Afongo told reporters that the presence of a “large number of non-PDP members”  at the meeting angered him.

He said, “Baraje is a leader in the party. If he is coming to address us, no problem.

“But, I saw a crowd and non-party members among them. I wanted to ask why and they started pushing me and shouting me down.”