The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has formally summoned Governors Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, alongside their respective State Assemblies, to appear before the committee on Thursday, May 8, okay.ng reports.
This summons follows a petition from the civil rights group, Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, which raised alarms over escalating insecurity in the two states.
The committee seeks explanations from both the executive and legislative branches of Benue and Zamfara states on why their constitutional roles should not be assumed by the House of Representatives due to the worsening security situation. The summons, issued by Chooks Oko, Head of Media for the committee, emphasized the committee’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.
Committee Chairman Mike Etaba personally signed the summons, noting that the invited parties are already familiar with the case details. He stated, “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.”
This development comes amid growing concerns about security challenges that have prompted calls for more decisive federal intervention in the governance of these states.
