Lawyers urge NASS to take over Benue, Zamfara Assemblies

Lawyers from across the country, operating under the aegis of Save Benue and Zamfara Coalition, on Tuesday called on the National Assembly to take over the functions of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly.

The coalition, during a peaceful protest at the National Assembly complex, argued that the two Houses have been unable to perform their constitutional duties due to internal crises and alleged interference by the state governors.

They alleged that 10 lawmakers have been suspended in Zamfara State since February last year, on the instructions of Governor Dauda Lawal, for raising alarm over rising insecurity in the state.

Similarly, in Benue State, they stated that 13 members of the House of Assembly were suspended for allegedly refusing Governor Hyacinth Alia’s directive to suspend the Chief Judge of the state.

The coalition, led by Barr 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 governance of a state when a House of Assembly is unable to perform its functions.

The lawyers warned that if the situation is not addressed, it may lead to a state of emergency being declared in the two states, and the crisis could spread to the National Assembly, threatening its stability.

The coalition therefore called on 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.

The petition partly reads:

“We write to request the urgent intervention of the Senate, under your able leadership, to forestall the demise of our democracy in instalments. Following the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency proclaimed by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State, we fear that Benue and Zamfara States are on the verge of coming under emergency rule unless urgent constitutional steps are taken to remedy the anomalies that exist in both states.

“Our request is predicated on Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which provides that: ‘At any time when any House of Assembly of a State is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in that State, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order, and good government of that State with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws, as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or expedient, until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions.’

“And any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the State: provided that nothing in this section shall be construed as conferring on the National Assembly the power to remove the Governor or the Deputy Governor of the State from office.”

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