The House of Representatives has issued a one-week ultimatum to Governors Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, along with the leadership of their respective State Houses of Assembly, to appear before its Committee on Public Petitions. This directive follows their failure to honour an earlier invitation to a hearing held at the National Assembly in Abuja concerning the controversial suspension of lawmakers in both states.
The summons is part of an ongoing investigation into a petition filed by a coalition of lawyers under the banner of Guardians of Democracy, which alleges the unlawful suspension of 13 lawmakers in Benue and 10 in Zamfara since February 2024. The petition, sponsored by the Deputy Spokesperson of the House, Hon. Philip Agbese, was formally laid before the chamber on March 27, 2025.
At the inaugural sitting of the committee, suspended Benue lawmakers led by Hon. Douglas Akya and Zamfara lawmakers represented by Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara appeared to present their case. The petitioners’ lead counsel, Barrister Ihensekhien Samuel Junior, urged the committee to expedite hearings, emphasizing that the House has the constitutional right to intervene, especially when the suspensions have rendered the assemblies unable to form a quorum necessary for legislative business.
The committee’s Vice Chairman, Hon. Nwogu Mathew, explained that a recent reshuffling in committee leadership necessitated the adjournment of proceedings and scheduled the next hearing for May 14, 2025. He stressed that the grace period would allow the governors and legislative leaders to respond and enable the committee to prepare for a balanced and transparent hearing.
The Benue State House of Assembly has rejected the summons, insisting that the state legislature is not subject to federal oversight. Meanwhile, the petitioners argue that the suspensions have paralyzed legislative functions in both states, calling on the National Assembly to invoke its constitutional powers to take over the legislative functions under Section 11 of the 1999 Constitution.
The situation has raised concerns about governance and the rule of law in Benue and Zamfara, with some observers warning that failure to resolve the crisis could lead to further political instability. The House of Representatives’ intervention marks a significant step in addressing the governance challenges in the two states, with the outcome of the upcoming hearing expected to have far-reaching implications.
The committee’s ultimatum underscores its commitment to upholding constitutional order and ensuring that democratic processes are respected across Nigeria’s federating units. The governors and state assembly leaders are expected to appear before the committee on May 14, 2025, to present their side of the story.
