Drama engulfed the Abia State House of Assembly on October 21, 2025, when Majority Leader Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu allegedly smashed a beer bottle over the head of colleague Hon. Akachukwu Ucheonye during a closed-door meeting of Labour Party (LP) members at Hon. Fyne Ahuama’s residence in Aba. The reason: a dispute over what lawmakers called Governor Alex Otti’s cash gift and its distribution.
Sources say the altercation ensued after Ucheonye, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, insisted on a larger share of the funds. The fight forced other members to flee, and the meeting ended with the Speaker Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa reportedly calling for silence and promising an internal investigation.
The incident has sparked outrage across social media, where critics described it as a display of legislative immaturity and moral bankruptcy. Political analysts note the deeper issue: weak internal ethics, lack of transparency in fund allocation and a culture where physical confrontation is acceptable in governance settings.
Opposition legislators demanded prosecution of those involved, citing the need to reclaim public trust. Meanwhile, the Majority Leader issued a statement denying he “broke the colleague’s head,” but declined to elaborate further, telling reporters: “The matters are internal to the House.”
For citizens, the event underscores the disconnect between assembly conduct and public expectations of dignity, integrity and responsible representation. Experts argue that such episodes may deter investment, hamper governance, and erode legislative legitimacy.