A renewed constitutional tension has emerged between the Benue State House of Assembly and the National Assembly following the refusal of the state legislators to honour a summons issued by the House of Representatives Public Petitions Committee.
The committee had summoned the Governors of Benue and Zamfara States, Hyacinth Alia and Dauda Lawal respectively, along with the Speakers and leadership of their State Houses of Assembly, to appear before it. The stated purpose was to have them explain why their constitutional responsibilities should not be assumed by the House of Representatives.
The Benue State Assembly responded strongly, passing a resolution instructing its Speaker, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, to disregard the invitation. The lawmakers described the move by the federal legislature as both “ignorant” and “unconstitutional.”
Citing Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Benue Assembly asserted its right to regulate its internal procedures independently. Lawmakers argued that the summons contradicts constitutional provisions which guarantee legislative autonomy for state assemblies.
In a move that signals legal escalation, the Assembly resolved to initiate legal action against the National Assembly, describing the situation as an “overreach of constitutional authority.”
During plenary, Majority Leader Saater Tiseer declared, “This is an ignorant move. The National Assembly cannot interfere with the internal affairs of a state legislature. We must resist this encroachment by seeking legal redress.”
His position was supported by Hon Bemdoo Ipusu, who called for the inclusion of the group Guidance of Democracy in the proposed legal action. “They misled the committee with falsehoods. For instance, they included the name of Peter Uche as one of the suspended lawmakers. That’s a blatant lie,” he said.
Hon Peter Uche, whose name was controversially listed in the petition, also condemned the misinformation. “I remain an active and serving member of this Assembly. The inclusion of my name is evidence of poor briefing and intentional mischief. Our federal counterparts must be better informed,” he stated.
The Assembly extended an invitation to members of the Benue National Assembly Caucus for a consultative dialogue. Lawmakers stated that the purpose is to understand why the state’s internal affairs are being misrepresented at the federal level.
Hon Michael Audu expressed strong opposition to the summons and warned against compliance, stressing that such federal intrusion “sets a dangerous precedent.”
The Assembly further urged the Nigerian Bar Association and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the petitioners, emphasizing the need for accountability to prevent further breakdowns in federal and state legislative relations.
