Benue Assembly rejects National Assembly summons, threatens legal action

The Benue State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging its Speaker, Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, to ignore a summons issued by the Public Petitions Committee of the National Assembly.

According to the Assembly, the summons violates the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The lawmakers argued that the State Assembly is not constitutionally answerable to the National Assembly and cited Section 101, which grants state legislatures autonomy over their internal proceedings.

In response, the Benue Assembly resolved to initiate legal action against the National Assembly. It also called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Inspector General of Police to investigate those behind the petition that prompted the summons.

The House further invited members of the Benue National Assembly Caucus for a consultative meeting to understand why the state is being misrepresented at the federal level.

During deliberations, Majority Leader Saater Tiseer described the National Assembly’s action as “ignorant,” insisting the State Assembly is constitutionally empowered to operate independently.

Supporting the move to seek redress in court, Bemdoo Ipusu, member representing Katsina-Ala West, suggested that the Assembly join Guidance of Democracy, the group that allegedly misled the National Assembly, in the legal action. Ipusu criticized the group for including the name of Peter Uche, who was not among the suspended members during the Assembly’s session, as evidence of misinformation.

Other members, including Michael Audu and Peter Uche, condemned the summons and advised the Speaker and leadership not to honour it. Uche reaffirmed that he remains an active member of the House and questioned why his name was falsely included among suspended lawmakers, describing the situation as evidence of poor briefing at the federal level.