The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Aondona Dajoh, has stepped down from his position, bringing an unexpected twist to the state’s political scene.
Dajoh announced his resignation in a letter personally signed and dated August 24, 2025.
The letter, titled ‘Resignation As The Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly,’ formally conveyed his decision to vacate the office.
The letter read, “This is done in good faith and in the best interest of the state. I want to appreciate my dear colleagues for the opportunity they gave me to be the first among equals
“I pledge to remain committed to my duties as a legislator and representative of Gboko West State Constituency.”
Meanwhile, the Benue State House of Assembly, on Friday, suspended four lawmakers for six months: Alfred Berger (Makurdi North), Terna Shimawua (Kian), Cyril Ekong (Obi), and James Umoru (Apa).
The House said the suspension followed an alleged attempt to impeach Speaker Dajoh the previous night.
Moving a motion of urgent importance, Majority Leader Saater Tiseer accused the lawmakers of trying to destabilise the assembly with what he described as an unnecessary crisis.
Following the motion, the Speaker ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the suspended members out of the chamber.
Dajoh also appointed Audu Elias as the new spokesperson for the House, replacing Berger, who previously held the position.
However, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia denied having any role in the alleged plot to remove the Speaker.
According to the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, “The governor, Hyacinth Alia, is not aware of and has no involvement whatsoever in any purported attempt to remove the speaker or in any activities currently taking place in the Benue state house of assembly.
“The governor continues to enjoy a cordial and productive working relationship with the Dajoh-led assembly and remains committed to supporting it in the discharge of its legislative duties for the overall development of Benue state.”
However, just 24 hours earlier, the House of Assembly had screened and confirmed six nominees as commissioners but rejected the nomination of Timothy Ornguga.
His rejection followed four petitions submitted by his former students and concerns over his alleged lack of a primary school certificate.
During the plenary session presided over by Speaker Dajoh, lawmakers directed Governor Alia to submit replacements for both Ornguga and James Dwen, as neither man was able to address the allegations contained in the petitions against them adequately.
After Ornguga, a law professor, introduced himself, the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, presented the four petitions, while Manger Manger, the lawmaker representing Tarka Constituency, raised questions about Ornguga’s academic credentials.