Benue State House of Assembly has strongly rejected an invitation from the House of Representatives, saying the request for its Speaker and leadership to appear before the National Assembly shows a poor understanding of the constitution.
During its plenary session held on Monday in Makurdi, the Assembly resolved that Speaker Aondona Dajoh should ignore the summons issued by the House Committee on Public Petitions.
The decision followed a petition sent by a group known as the Guardians of Democracy, urging federal lawmakers to intervene in the current crisis within the Benue Assembly.
The House Committee on Public Petitions, acting on that request, sent a letter dated April 30, 2025, asking the Speaker and other leaders of the Assembly to appear before it on May 8, 2025. The invitation was linked to the recent suspension of 13 lawmakers in the state Assembly.
However, Benue lawmakers stood their ground, stating that the National Assembly had no constitutional power to question the internal decisions of a state legislature. They argued that Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution gives them the right to regulate their procedures and internal affairs independently.
The Assembly also discussed plans to take legal action against the National Assembly, while calling on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Inspector General of Police to investigate those behind the petition.
Lawmakers expressed anger that the petition included incorrect information and names, including that of Hon. Peter Uche, who said he was still active in his role and had never been suspended.
“By the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Benue State House of Assembly is not answerable to the National Assembly,” Majority Leader Comrade Saater Tiseer stated. He further noted that the summons showed “ignorance” of how the Nigerian legislative system works.
Member representing Katsina-Ala West, Bemdoo Ipusu, backed legal action and insisted the Guardians of Democracy should be included in the lawsuit for misleading the National Assembly.
Other lawmakers, including Micheal Audu and Peter Uche, openly condemned the federal lawmakers’ decision. Uche said the claim that he was suspended was false and pointed to a failure by the petitioners to verify facts before submitting their complaint.
Lawmakers from Benue also called on their National Assembly counterparts from the state to return home and meet with them. They said such engagement would help correct the negative image being presented about the state at the federal level.
The Assembly concluded that it would continue to defend its independence and resist any outside attempt to interfere in its operations.
