Isaac Samuel
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the governors of Benue and Zamfara State, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia and Dauda Lawal over ongoing crises in their respective State Houses of Assembly.
Also summoned are the leadership of the two assemblies who are expected to appear before the committee on Thursday, May 8, to explain why the House of Representatives should not invoke its constitutional powers to take over the functions of the Assemblies.
The move follows a petition by a civil rights group, Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, urging the National Assembly to intervene and restore order in the two troubled assemblies.
A copy of the summons, obtained by this medium, was signed by the Committee Chairman, Mike Etaba.
Etaba noted that all parties involved are familiar with the issues at stake and urged them to seize the opportunity to clarify the situation to the Nigerian public.
“Ours is to ensure that the rule of Law is upheld at all times. The parties have a wonderful opportunity to state their cases clearly so that Nigerians can know what is going on. Anarchy would never be given any space in our polity ” Etaba maintained.
The Zamfara State Assembly has been in disarray since February 27, when 10 members, four from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and six from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were suspended for allegedly convening an illegal plenary.
Currently, the Assembly is split between two rival factions, each laying claim to the speakership.
While Bashar Gummi and his loyalists purportedly impeached Bilyaminu Moriki during a parallel sitting, the Moriki-led faction retaliated by suspending 10 pro-Gummi lawmakers, branding the impeachment a nullity.
Similarly, the Benue State Assembly is embroiled in its own controversy.
Thirteen lawmakers were suspended for three months for allegedly reversing their stance on the removal of the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, whom they had accused of gross misconduct and corruption.
The lawmakers later distanced themselves from the move, saying the entire process leading to Ikpambese’s removal was violated procedures.
