Benue Assembly vows to drag Reps to Court over Summons

The Benue State House of Assembly has announced plans to challenge the House of Representatives in court following a summons issued to its Speaker, Hyacinth Dajoh, and other principal officers.

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions had recently invited the Governors of Benue and Zamfara States, alongside the leadership of their state assemblies, to appear before it on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

The invitation followed a petition from a group known as Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, which urged the National Assembly to take over the legislative duties of both state assemblies.

Reacting to the development, the Chief Press Secretary to the Benue Speaker, Terver Zamber, disclosed in a statement that the House passed a resolution mandating Speaker Dajoh to ignore the summons.

The statement described the move by the National Assembly as a clear violation of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

It further revealed that the Assembly intends to take legal action against the National Assembly, while also calling on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate those behind the petition.

The Assembly equally asked Benue’s federal lawmakers to return home for discussions to clarify why the state was being misrepresented at the national level.

In his contribution, the House Majority Leader, Mr. Saater Tiseer, condemned the summons, describing it as a product of ignorance.

He argued that Section 101 of the Nigerian Constitution empowers the Benue State House of Assembly to regulate its own affairs without interference from the National Assembly.

Also speaking, Peter Ipusu, who represents Katsina-Ala West Constituency, endorsed the decision to seek redress in court and suggested that the petitioners, Guardians of Democracy, should be joined in the suit for misleading the National Assembly.