Conference of Speakers rejects Reps summons of colleagues

By Alade Adisa

The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has rejected the recent summons issued by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, targeting the Speakers of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly.

The summons, allegedly based on petitions from the civil society group Guardians of Democracy and the Rule of Law, is seen by the conference as an overreach of constitutional authority and a direct challenge to Nigeria’s federal structure, which it said undermined the autonomy of State Legislatures as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution.

In a formal letter sent to the Committee, by the Chairman of the Conference, Adebo Ogundoyin, who is also the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, the conference articulated that the investigative and oversight powers of the National Assembly, as defined in Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, are confined to federal matters.

It emphasised that state legislatures are constitutionally independent arms of government, asserting that their presiding officers cannot be summoned over internal legislative issues unless a clear constitutional or federal matter is involved.

In solidarity with this position, the Speakers of Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly have independently voiced strong constitutional objections to the summons, stating that the concerns raised are purely domestic and fall outside the oversight jurisdiction of the National Assembly.

The Conference cautioned that any attempts to undermine the constitutional independence of state assemblies could set a troubling precedent, potentially jeopardising democracy at the sub-national level.

The conference called on the National Assembly to respect the principles of separation of powers and mutual institutional respect, assuring Nigerians of its steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law across all levels of governance.