Olusegun Ariyo
A fresh constitutional face-off has emerged between the Benue State House of Assembly and the National Assembly after the state lawmakers declined to honour a summons from the House of Representatives Public Petitions Committee.
The House of Representatives committee had summoned the Governors of Benue and Zamfara states, Hyacinth Alia and Dauda Lawal, respectively, as well as their respective state assembly speakers and house leadership to appear before it.
The Reps said the governors and the Assemblies’ leaders must appear to explain why their constitutional functions should not be taken over by the House of Representatives.
The development sparked political controversy, with the Benue legislature describing the federal directive as both “ignorant” and “unconstitutional.”
On Tuesday, the Benue State Assembly passed a resolution urging its Speaker, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, to disregard the invitation issued by the Reps panel.
The lawmakers argued that the summons contravenes the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees state legislatures autonomy over their internal affairs.
Quoting Section 101 of the Constitution, the Assembly insisted that it is empowered to regulate its procedures without interference from the federal legislature.
In what appears to be a defiant but calculated stance, the lawmakers also resolved to pursue legal action against the National Assembly for what they described as an overreach of constitutional authority.
During plenary, Majority Leader Saater Tiseer sharply criticised the summons, declaring, “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 reinforced by Bemdoo Ipusu, who represents Katsina-Ala West. Ipusu not only supported court action but also suggested that a group called Guidance of Democracy, which allegedly influenced the National Assembly’s decision, be joined in the legal suit.
“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.
The Assembly further extended an invitation to the Benue National Assembly Caucus members for a consultative dialogue.
The goal, lawmakers said, is to determine why the state’s internal matters are being misrepresented at the federal level.
Hon Peter Uche, whose name was controversially listed among the suspended members in the petition, 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,” Uche stated.
Hon Michael Audu also spoke strongly, cautioning the Speaker against honouring the summons and insisting that such interference sets a dangerous precedent.
The Assembly called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the petitioners.
The House stressed that the source of the misinformation must be held accountable to prevent future breakdowns in federal-state legislative relations.
