By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
Over 1,000 lawyers under the Save Benue and Zamfara Coalition staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly on Tuesday, demanding the legislative body invoke constitutional powers to take over the functions of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly.
The lawyers cited alleged interference by state governors and prolonged internal crises, which they claim have rendered the assemblies dysfunctional.
In Zamfara, 10 lawmakers have reportedly been suspended since February 2023 after raising concerns over insecurity, while in Benue, 13 legislators were suspended for allegedly defying Governor Hyacinth Alia’s directive to remove the state’s Chief Judge.
Led by Barr. Sambari Benjamin, the coalition urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to invoke Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the National Assembly to legislate for a state when its assembly is incapacitated.
The lawyers warned that failure to act could lead to a state of emergency in both states and potentially destabilize the National Assembly.
They called for immediate intervention to safeguard democracy.