|By Adejumo Adekunle-
-Benue Assembly Rejects Reps’ Summons, Labels Move Unconstitutional
–Lawmakers Threaten Legal Action, Accuse Federal Committee of Misinformation
A fresh constitutional showdown is brewing between the Benue State House of Assembly and the National Assembly after state lawmakers flatly rejected a summons from the House of Representatives’ Public Petitions Committee.
The committee had summoned Benue and Zamfara State Governors, Hyacinth Alia and Dauda Lawal, alongside their Speakers and other House leaders, demanding their appearance to explain why the National Assembly should not assume control of their legislative functions.
But in a swift and firm response during plenary on Tuesday, the Benue Assembly passed a resolution urging its Speaker, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, to disregard the invitation, describing it as “ignorant,” “baseless,” and “unconstitutional.”
Quoting Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Assembly asserted that state legislatures are empowered to regulate their own affairs without interference from the federal parliament.
“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,” declared Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, while urging the House to pursue legal action.
Backing the call, Hon. Bemdoo Ipusu of Katsina-Ala West insisted that the ‘Guidance of Democracy’, the group believed to have influenced the federal petition, be joined in the legal suit for allegedly spreading falsehoods.
“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,” Ipusu said.
In his own rebuttal, Hon. Peter Uche described the petition as mischievous and damaging, stressing that he remains an active and serving member of the Assembly.
“The inclusion of my name is evidence of poor briefing and intentional mischief. Our federal counterparts must be better informed,” Uche stated.
Adding his voice, Hon. Michael Audu warned that honouring such a federal summons would set a dangerous precedent, urging the Speaker to stand firm in defending the Assembly’s autonomy.
The lawmakers also invited members of the Benue National Assembly Caucus for a consultative meeting to uncover how state matters were misrepresented at the federal level.
As part of its resolution, the House called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the petitioners and hold the sources of the misinformation accountable.
The Assembly’s stance signals a bold resistance to what it views as an attempt by the federal legislature to usurp the constitutional powers of state assemblies.
