The governors of Zamfara and Benue states, Dauda Lawal and Hyacinth Alia, may not honour a recent invitation from the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.
The committee had summoned both governors and their state assemblies to explain what it described as “alleged constitutional violations and governance breakdowns” in their states.
This was made known in a statement by the committee’s Head of Media, Chooks Oko, on Friday.
The lawmakers said the meeting, planned for March 8, will look into issues like the suspension of lawmakers, poor security conditions, and whether the National Assembly should take over the duties of the affected assemblies, as allowed under Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
In Benue, 13 lawmakers who disagreed with Governor Alia’s decision to suspend the Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, were themselves suspended from the House.
In Zamfara, the crisis deepened when a group of nine suspended lawmakers formed a parallel assembly. Despite their suspension, they insisted they still had the right to perform legislative duties. They have even called on the governor to present the 2025 budget to them.
Both states are also facing severe security challenges. In Zamfara, bandits continue to terrorize rural communities with frequent kidnappings, livestock theft, and extortion. In Benue, deadly clashes between farmers and armed herders have claimed many lives.
Reacting to the invitation, a top official in the Benue government, who did not want to be named, said they were reviewing the matter.
“This is a constitutional matter, and the government needs to find out if the National Assembly has oversight functions on the state government and its state assembly.
I think the law will answer that, so the attorney general would soon respond to that,” the source said.
The Speaker of the Benue House of Assembly, Hyacinth Dajoh, said he had not received any official invitation.
“It’s all a social media issue. I am yet to receive the invitation letter, maybe the letter may reach my office tomorrow (Monday), I cannot say.
But as I am talking to you now, it’s a mere media issue and I cannot respond to it,” he said.
In Zamfara, Governor Lawal’s media aide, Mustafa Kaura, also dismissed the National Assembly’s move.
He said, “The National Assembly, whether Senate or the House of Representatives, cannot invite the governor on issues relating to his state.
Only the state assembly has the power to invite a governor to appear before it.”
Kaura also questioned the urgency of the invitation.
“The honourable members are currently on recess, and I wonder if they have terminated their holidays and returned to Abuja just to see the two governors of Zamfara and Benue.
Governor Lawal did not even receive the invitation letter and will not go to Abuja to waste his time,” he said.