The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has described as unconstitutional the House of Representatives’ summons issued to the Speakers of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly.
The affected Speakers were summoned based on petitions purportedly received from a civil society group, Guardians of Democracy and the Rule of Law.
The Conference views the development as an overreach of constitutional powers and a direct challenge to Nigeria’s federal structure and the autonomy of State Legislatures as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution, as expressed in a formal letter transmitted to the relevant committee (attached herewith).
The Conference stated that the investigative and oversight powers of the National Assembly, as provided under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, are limited to federal matters. It emphasized that State Legislatures are constitutionally independent arms of government, and their presiding officers cannot be summoned over internal legislative affairs—except in cases where a clear constitutional or federal issue is involved.
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Supporting this position, the Honourable Speakers of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly have also written independently to express strong constitutional objections to the summons. They affirmed that the issues raised are purely domestic in nature and fall outside the oversight jurisdiction of the National Assembly.
The Conference warned that any attempt to erode the constitutional independence of State Assemblies may set a dangerous precedent capable of undermining democracy at the sub-national level.
It called on the National Assembly to uphold the principles of separation of powers and mutual institutional respect, while assuring Nigerians of its unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law at all levels of governance.
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