A bloody showdown has rocked the Abia State House of Assembly as a heated argument over Governor Alex Otti’s alleged cash gift snowballed into violence, leaving one lawmaker badly injured and others scrambling to cover up the scandal.
The brawl reportedly erupted during a closed-door meeting of Labour Party (LP) lawmakers at the Aba residence of Hon. Fyne Ahuama, member representing Osisioma Ngwa South Constituency.
Witnesses said tempers flared when the Majority Leader, Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu (Arochukwu Constituency), launched a vicious attack on Hon. Akachukwu Ucheonye (Aba Central Constituency), smashing a beer bottle on his head after a shouting match over how to share money allegedly “appreciated” to the lawmakers by Governor Otti.
“The lawmaker representing Aba Central State Constituency in Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Ucheonye, suffered severe concussions and broken head after the Majority Leader of Abia State House of Assembly who is the LP member representing Arochukwu State Constituency, Hon. Uchenna Kalu attacked him with a beer bottle,” a source at the meeting told SaharaReporters.
According to insiders, the cash in question was part of an “appreciation package” Governor Otti reportedly sent to the LP caucus for passing the N150 billion supplementary budget and the N750.3 billion 2025 appropriation tagged Budget of Sustained Momentum.
But the money quickly tore the caucus apart. Hon. Ucheonye, who chairs the powerful House Committee on Appropriation, Budget and Planning, allegedly demanded a larger share, insisting his committee played the biggest role in passing the budget.
“While discussing the sharing formula for the largesse, Hon. Ucheonye, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Budget and Planning, insisted on getting a lion’s share of the money. This infuriated the majority leader, who proceeded to break a bottle of beer on the head of his colleague after a brief exchange of punches,” another source said.
The shocking scene left Ucheonye drenched in blood and reeling from a concussion. He was rushed to a private clinic in Aba, where he received emergency treatment.
In a message later sent to Governor Otti, Ucheonye wrote, “Good evening His Excellency, this is a wound I sustained from the majority leader for trying to voice my opinion on issues boarding on the committee I chair for the house at the premises of Hon Fyne Ahuama during our caucus meeting today at Aba.”
Despite the grisly injury, sources say Ucheonye was discharged the next day to join his colleagues on a state-sponsored “retreat” in London — a trip alleged to have cost taxpayers nearly N1 billion.
“Hon. Ucheonye has been discharged from the clinic to join his colleagues on a state-sponsored trip to London, United Kingdom,” another insider revealed.
The lawmakers reportedly flew first class and lodged at the Premier Inn London Town Centre Hotel, Phillips House, 6 Lansdowne Rd, Croydon CR0 2BX.
But even in London, the drama followed them. Reports say another shouting match broke out among the delegation when some lawmakers accused Speaker Emmanuel Emeruwa, Deputy Speaker Augustine Meregini, and Majority Leader Uchenna Kalu of hoarding part of the money meant for the trip.
According to multiple sources, only 40% of the travel funds were shared among members, with the rest allegedly pocketed by the top three officers — forcing hotel security to intervene and restore order.
Now, angry lawmakers are plotting revenge. One source told SaharaReporters that plans are underway to impeach the Speaker and principal officers over allegations of corruption, misconduct, and abuse of office once they return to Nigeria.
“Many of them are tired of the Speaker and his clique. What happened in Aba and London has exposed everything,” the source said.
