By Emman Ovuakporie & Levinus Nwabughiogu
ABUJA—THERE was a mild drama, yesterday, at the House of Representatives as the lawmakers averted a messy situation between the Majority Leader of the House, Mulikat Akande-Adeola and Irona Alfonsus Gerald, over alleged monetary largesse from President Jonathan to persuade aggrieved PDP lawmakers, who lost out at the primaries, to remain in the party.

President Jonathan

Members expressed surprise as Irona, known for his quiet disposition walked towards the Majority Leader and engaged her in a verbal war pointing a finger at her face menacingly.

Irona had immediately after the routine prayer offered by the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, marched on to where the House Leader was seated and threatened to embarrass her if she didn’t desist from her ways.

In his words which were heard by many within the green chamber as well as newsmen at the gallery, he said: “I don’t like it. This is not the first time you have done that to me. Stop it or I will embarrass you”.

His agitation, however, forced the Deputy Leader of the House, Rep Leo Ogor, PDP Isoko Federal Constituency, to rise up and grab him away from Mulikat’s seat.

The Leader, however, did not give any audible response to the verbal attack from Gerald. Irona was later guided to his seat where other members went to further calm him down.

Speculations were rife within the House that the situation may not be unconnected with the monetary largesse allegedly offered by President Jonathan as a means of persuading aggrieved PDP lawmakers who lost out at the primaries to remain in the party.

It was gathered that the President held a meeting with PDP Caucus in the House on Sunday following the gale of defection by PDP lawmakers to the opposition parties, with the APC being the biggest beneficiary of such defection.

Irona who represents Ohaji/Ebgema/Oguta and Oru federal constituency of Imo State but could not win a return ticket to the House at the last primaries was believed to have been shut out of the meeting by the caucus headed by Mulikat. Although, it was not clear how much the President allegedly doled out, the financial inducement was said to have been made in foreign currency to the aggrieved lawmakers.