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By Tracy Moses
Governors Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State have stirred fresh controversy after failing to honour a summon by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions on the the alleged unlawful suspension of legislators in their respective state assemblies.
Their absence at Thursday’s hearing has heightened tensions surrounding a petition submitted on March 27, 2025, by human rights lawyer, Samuel Ihensekhien on behalf of a civic advocacy group, Guardians of Rule of Law and Democracy.
The petitioner accused both governors and their respective Houses of Assembly of orchestrating the suspension of dissenting lawmakers in violation of constitutional provisions.
At the heart of the petition is an appeal for the National Assembly to invoke Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers it to assume legislative functions of any state assembly deemed incapable of performing its duties.
In Zamfara, political infighting reached a boiling point earlier this year when 10 lawmakers, four from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and six from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were suspended for allegedly conducting an unauthorized plenary session. The crisis deepened after a power tussle between Speaker hopefuls Bilyaminu Moriki and Bashar Gummi, leading to the emergence of two rival factions each claiming legitimacy.
In a dramatic turn, the Gummi-led faction convened a controversial session and announced Moriki’s impeachment. In retaliation, the Moriki camp suspended 10 pro-Gummi lawmakers, declaring the impeachment move null and void.
Benue State has not fared any better. In a polarizing decision, the House of Assembly suspended 13 members for three months after they opposed the impeachment of Chief Judge Maurice Ikpambese over allegations of corruption and misconduct. Critics argue that the move was politically motivated and intended to stifle dissent within the legislature.
At Thursday’s hearing session, Samuel argued that the suspensions were unconstitutional, citing judicial precedents from both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. “No legislative chamber has the authority to suspend a sitting member beyond 14 days. Anything beyond that is a violation of their mandate,” he declared.
He further criticized the governors’ outright rejection of the National Assembly’s summons, saying, “Their refusal to appear suggests a dangerous disregard for democratic accountability and the rule of law.”
One of the affected Zamfara lawmakers, visibly aggrieved, voiced concerns about executive impunity: “We were told the governors and assembly leaders would not appear. One even went as far as saying nothing would come out of this process.”
Despite the urgency of the matter, the committee encountered an administrative hiccup. Deputy Chairman Hon. Matthew Nwogu, who presided over the session following a recent leadership reshuffle, noted a critical procedural flaw: the petition may not have been formally laid before the House plenary, a necessary condition for the committee to take jurisdiction.
“I have the petition document here,” Nwogu said, holding up the file. “But it bears no official stamp of referral from the House. Until that is verified, we are constrained from proceeding.”
Samoe, however, maintained that the petition had followed due process and urged the committee to expedite its verification.
Although present, the newly appointed Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee, Hon. Kwamoti Bitrus Laori, refrained from presiding over the session but made a brief statement urging calm. “Let us not allow emotions to derail our constitutional responsibilities,” he said. “We must allow due process to guide our actions.”
The committee assured petitioners and concerned stakeholders that the absence of the governors would not derail its work, but emphasized the need for procedural clarity, especially given the far-reaching implications of invoking Section 11.
The matter has been adjourned to Wednesday, May 14, 2025, pending confirmation of the petition’s procedural standing and further deliberations.