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Mulikat
Akande-Adeola
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Only
the quick intervention of their colleagues saved what would have been a new low
because of open altercation between legislative protagonists. A
PDP member in the House, Ironna Gerald, almost slapped the Majority Leader,
Mulikat Akande-Adeola, during Tuesday’s plenary.
The
plenary had barely started when Gerald accosted Akande-Adeola, to demand why
she always excluded him from PDP caucus meetings. On the heels of an argument
that ensued between them, the lawmaker from Imo State threatened to “embarrass”
Akande-Adeola.
The story continues:
Gerald’s
anger came barely 48 hours after the Majority Leader led the PDP caucus members
to a “strategy” meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Aso Rock Villa
on Sunday night.
The
drama took place amid speculation that Gerald might have felt that his
‘interests’ were not taken care of by the leader after the meeting.
The
Imo State-born lawmaker had started by asking Akande-Adeola whether she had
ever invited him to a PDP caucus meeting.
The
leader’s reaction apparently infuriated him as he started shouting,
“I will embarrass you; I will embarrass you.’’
As
he made to move in anger to assault Akande-Adeola, Deputy House Leader, Leo
Ogor, and a couple of other House members pre-empted his move and stopped him.
On
her part, Akande-Adeola warned Gerald never to behave towards her in such a
manner next time.
As
tempers flared, the presiding Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, called
Akande-Adeola to the Chair for briefing on what caused the altercation. The
two House principal officers conferred for a few seconds before Akande-Adeola
returned to her sit.
When
contacted for comments later, the House leader dismissed the issue as “a minor
caucus matter.” Akande-Adeola
said the insinuation that money must have caused the drama was not true. “No,
money never exchanged hands,” she told reporters.
The
Majority Leader claimed that there was a mix-up in text messaging, an
indication that perhaps, Gerald did not get a message sent to members inviting
them to the meeting. However,
she stated that there was indeed a meeting with Jonathan, where issues of
mutual interests to the PDP and its members were discussed.
Gerald
declined to speak on the cause of the quarrel when his views were sought. He
referred journalists to Akande-Adeola, saying she was in a better position to
comment “because she is the House Leader.”
A
scheduled debate on the use of the military during elections was postponed till
Wednesday (today).
The
House had last week referred the matter to its joint Committees on
Rules/Business, Justice and Judiciary for advice after it pitted PDP and APC
lawmakers against one another.
The Chairman
of the joint committees, Albert Sam-Tsokwa, had told the House that a
report on the deliberations on the issue was ready but asked to be allowed to
present it on Wednesday (today).
This
came as members unanimously commended the Armed Forces for the successes they
recorded against Boko Haram in the North-East in the last few days.
The House also praised
President Goodluck Jonathan, saying the armed forces achieved the feat owing to
the support he (Jonathan) gave to them by releasing funds for sophisticated
weapons.
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