REPS COMMITTEE SUMMONS GOVERNORS ALIA AND LAWAL
In a separate development, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia and his Zamfara counterpart, Dauda Lawal, along with the leadership of their respective Houses of Assembly, over concerns of legislative dysfunction in both states.
The summons follows a petition filed by a civil rights group, Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, which urged the House of Representatives to consider invoking its constitutional powers to take over the legislative functions of the state assemblies, citing a breakdown in governance. According to Hon. Mike Etaba, chairman of the committee, the decision to summon the governors and lawmakers is anchored on the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight responsibility as enshrined in Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Etaba emphasized that the committee’s mandate is to preserve the rule of law and prevent anarchy, warning that failure to honor the summons may result in unilateral determinations by the committee. The parties are expected to appear before the panel on Thursday, May 18, 2025, at Room 429, New Wing of the National Assembly Complex, and submit one soft and ten hard copies of their responses.
While the exact details of the allegations remain undisclosed, the move signals increasing concerns over constitutional crises and the weakening of legislative independence in some Nigerian states.
