THE political atmosphere in Benue took another dramatic turn on Tuesday as the State House of Assembly suspended its immediate past Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, barely days after his resignation from office, News Point Nigeria gathered.
The lawmakers accused Dajoh of plotting to impeach Governor Hyacinth Alia, a move described as destabilizing to the state’s political order.
His suspension was the highlight of a heated plenary session that also saw lawmakers make a complete U-turn on some of his earlier decisions.
The motion for Dajoh’s suspension was moved by Terna Shimawua, member representing Kyan Constituency, and seconded by James Umoru of Apa Constituency.
Interestingly, Shimawua was one of the lawmakers suspended last Friday by Dajoh before his dramatic resignation as Speaker.
Presiding over the plenary, the new Speaker, Alfred Berger, upheld the motion and pronounced a three-month suspension on Dajoh.
He reduced the term from six months originally proposed, but unlike usual legislative practice, the decision was not subjected to a voice vote.
In another twist, the Assembly revisited and overturned one of Dajoh’s controversial rulings.
Lawmakers confirmed the nomination of Timothy Yangien Ornguga, a law lecturer at Benue State University, as commissioner, just a week after his nomination was rejected by the Assembly under Dajoh’s leadership.
Speaker Berger, while reading Governor Alia’s fresh letter to the Assembly, also screened and confirmed five more nominees, including Ornguga and James Dwem, whose nominations had earlier been blocked.
The governor argued that neither Ornguga nor Dwem had been convicted of any crime, despite petitions against their appointments, and appealed to lawmakers to reconsider them. Surprisingly, the once vocal opposition melted away, and the confirmations sailed through without the usual voice vote.
In a further show of political realignment, the Assembly lifted the suspension of three officials earlier sanctioned by the governor. They include:
Grace Adagba, Chairman, Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB)
Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman, Otukpo Local Government Area
Michael Uper, Secretary, Benue State Lottery Board
The reinstatement of the officials signaled an alignment between the legislature and Governor Alia’s administration after weeks of tense power struggles.
The suspension of Dajoh and the reversal of his earlier decisions highlight the deepening intrigues within the Benue political space.
For now, the Assembly appears to be moving in sync with the executive, but the unfolding drama suggests that political tensions in Benue are far from over.