•The protesting lawyers
Lawyers, numbering about 1,000 who gathered nationwide, under the Save Benue and Zamfara Coalition, yesterday, petitioned the National Assembly to take over the functions of Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly.
The coalition, during a peaceful protest, at the National Assembly complex, argued that the two Houses are unable to perform their constitutional duties due to internal crises and alleged interference by the state governors, reports The Guardian.
The petition lamented that in Zamfara, 10 lawmakers have been suspended since February last year, on the instructions of Governor Dauda Lawal for raising alarm over the rising insecurity in the state.
Similarly, in Benue, they stated that 13 members of the House of Assembly were suspended for allegedly refusing Governor Hyacinth Alia’s instruction to suspend the Chief Judge of State.
The coalition, led by Sambari Benjamin, is urging the National Assembly to invoke Section 11(4) of the Constitution, which allows the parliament to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of a state when the House of Assembly is unable to perform its functions.
The lawyers warn that if the situation is not addressed, it may lead to a state of emergency being declared in the two states.
They also expressed concern that the crisis could spread to the National Assembly, potentially threatening its stability.
The coalition, therefore, requested the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to urgently intervene and take over the functions of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly to restore democratic rule and stability in the two states.
In the meantime, the Benue State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed a resolution calling on Speaker Aondona Dajoh to disregard summons of the National Assembly Public Petition Committee.
The committee, in a statement issued on May 2, 2025, by its Head of Media, Chooks Oko, summoned the Governors of Benue and Zamfara states, Hyacinth Alia and Daudu Lawal, y and their respective state assemblies over alleged constitutional violations and governance failures.
Both governors have since rejected the invitation, citing issues of legality and constitutional merit.
The Assembly, in passing the resolution, argued that the summons contravene the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended.
