The Benue State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging its Speaker, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, to ignore a summons issued by the National Assembly’s Public Petitions Committee, arguing that the directive contradicts constitutional provisions.
Lawmakers contend that the summons breaches the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended). The Assembly announced its intention to initiate legal proceedings against the National Assembly and called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Inspector General of Police to investigate those responsible for signing the petition.
In the same resolution, the Benue Assembly also called on the National Assembly members from the state, both Senators and Representatives, to engage with the House in order to understand why the state’s image is being negatively portrayed at the federal legislative level.
Speaking on the issue, Majority Leader of the House, Comrade Saater Tiseer, criticised the petition and the planned summons for the Speaker and leadership of the Assembly to appear on Thursday, 8 May 2025.
Tiseer described the move as misinformed and lacking constitutional backing. He pointed to Section 101 of the Nigerian Constitution, which he said grants state legislatures the authority to regulate their own proceedings without external interference.
Hon. Bemdoo Ipusu, who represents Katsina-Ala West State Constituency, supported the House’s decision to challenge the National Assembly in court. He further recommended that the “Guidance of Democracy” group be included in the legal action for allegedly misleading the National Assembly.
Ipusu noted that the petition cited Hon. Peter Uche as one of the suspended members of the Assembly, despite the fact that Uche was never suspended. This, he argued, demonstrated a lack of understanding of the actual events that took place during the relevant House session.
He questioned the rationale behind what he perceived as an attempt by the National Assembly to assume the responsibilities of a state legislature that he described as “vibrant and performing its duties effectively.” He added that there had been no disputes among the three arms of government within the state.
Several other lawmakers, including Hon. Micheal Audu and Hon. Peter Uche himself, firmly rejected the actions of the National Assembly and urged the Speaker and the leadership not to attend the scheduled appearance.
Hon. Uche affirmed that he continues to carry out his legislative responsibilities as an elected representative of his constituents. He expressed disbelief at the inclusion of his name among the allegedly suspended lawmakers and argued that the development indicated the National Assembly had acted on incorrect or incomplete information.
