The House of Representatives Panel has scheduled a hearing for May 14, 2025, to consider a petition against the Governors of Benue and Zamfara States, as well as the leadership of their respective Houses of Assembly.
The petition, filed by a group of lawyers known as Guardians of Democracy, alleges unconstitutional suspension of lawmakers.
The petition stems from the suspension of 13 members of the Benue State House of Assembly and 10 members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly in February 2024. The petition was presented to the House of Representatives on March 27, 2025, by Hon. Philip Agbese, Deputy Spokesperson of the House.
The Governors of Benue and Zamfara States, Hyacinth Alia and Dauda Lawal, respectively, and the leadership of their Houses of Assembly failed to appear before the House Committee on Public Petitions on the scheduled date. As a result, the panel has given them another opportunity to appear on May 14, 2025.
The suspended members of the Benue State House of Assembly were led by Hon. Douglas Akya, representing Makurdi South, while the Zamfara members were led by Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara, representing Talata Mafara South and Minority Leader.
Ihensekhien Samuel Junior, Counsel to the Petitioners, urged the National Assembly to give the matter accelerated hearing. He cited several authorities to support his argument that the House can entertain the petition even if the matter is in court, provided there is no subsisting order to stop the panel. A team of 12 lawyers supported the petitioners.
Speaking to the journalists after the sitting, Ihensekhien said, “So we base our petition on that. The gist of our complaint in which we brought before this Committee is that, particularly in Zamfara State, where you had some Members, to the range of 11 Members of the State House Assembly were suspended, allegedly on the details and instructions from the executive arm of of government in that state for 16 months running.
“Also, you had some Members of the Benue House of Assembly, 13 of them were also illegally suspended. And particularly, when you look at these two scenarios, you find it impracticable for these two different Houses of Assembly to form a quorum to decide to sit.
“So the question is, can these few Members legitimately and legally form a quorum to proceed into these states’ law-making duties? This is the whole ground norm of what we have submitted before the House of Representatives and where they find merit in our petition, they can consequent upon their constitutional powers as clearly defined in our written brief in which we are playing today, we are asking them to look at it and exercise jurisdiction to takeover the functions of law-making of these two different Houses.
“More particularly, the House has very ostensible power, the residual power and overriding powers, and some other powers donated to them by the Constitution, to investigate and eventually prevail on the leadership of the respective Houses of Assembly to use ADR or other avenues, to resolve the issues. But the most important thing is that we want these Members of the State Houses of Assembly to be reelected forthwith, without any impediment.”
IREPORT247NEW had earlier reported that the House of Representatives committee on Public Petitions summoned the Governors of Zamfara and Benue states along with the leadership of the two states’ Houses of Assembly to appear before the committee on Thursday, May 8 to explain why their functions should not be taken over by the House of Representatives.
In a bold move, the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly rejected summons issued by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.
The assembly argued that the summons contravened the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, specifically highlighting the separation of powers between the federal and state governments.
Leading the debate, the House Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, criticized the invitation as ignorant of constitutional boundaries.
Saater Tiseer said, “Going by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Benue State House of Assembly is not answerable to the National Assembly. Section 101 empowers the House to regulate its own procedure without external interference”