Lawyers urge National Assembly to take over state assemblies of Benue, Zamfara

The House of Representatives has been urged to intervene legislatively to restore constitutional order in Benue and Zamfara states.

This was contained in a petition signed by over 200 lawyers and submitted to the House by the lawmaker representing Ado, Okpokwu, and Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency, Philip Agbese.

The petitioners called on the Green Chamber to invoke Section 11(4) of the Nigerian Constitution to restore order in Benue and Zamfara states.

Section 11(4) of the Nigerian Constitution empowers the National Assembly to step in and legislate for a state when its House of Assembly is genuinely unable to perform its functions due to prevailing circumstances.

Presenting the petition on Thursday, Agbese said: “The petition emphasises the importance of taking immediate action to address the precarious situation in these states. The petition describes the situation in Benue and Zamfara as alarming, with rampant impunity, anarchy, and lawlessness threatening the very foundations of our democracy.

“These young Nigerian lawyers, numbering about 200, who visited my office yesterday, are alarmed by recent developments in Benue State, where fourteen members of the Benue State House of Assembly were undemocratically, unjustly, and in the most uncivilised manner pushed out of the state assembly under the guise of suspension—allegedly on the orders of someone acting outside the proper channels of the assembly.

“We also recently witnessed similar events in Zamfara State, where, out of the 24 members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, ten members were unjustly and undemocratically removed, thereby hindering the full functioning of legislative debate.”

“The legislature's silence in the face of this crisis enabled the executive to take control, undermining the principles of democracy. We cannot afford to let this happen again.

“Therefore, the petitioners are praying for the House to invoke Section 11(4) of the Constitution to take over the functions of the state assemblies in Benue and Zamfara and restore constitutional order.”

Meanwhile, the petition has been referred to the relevant committee.