Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has announced a minor reshuffle of committee leaderships in the lower chamber amid growing controversy over the summons issued to the governors of Benue and Zamfara states.

During Wednesday’s plenary, Abbas redeployed Mike Etaba, representing Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency in Cross River, from his role as chairman of the Public Petitions Committee to lead the Committee on Environment.

Bitrus Laori, the Adamawa lawmaker who previously chaired the Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa, will now head the Committee on Public Petitions. Meanwhile, Billy Osawaru from Edo State, who served as deputy chair of the Poverty Alleviation Committee, has been appointed to lead the Cooperation and Integration in Africa Committee.

Etaba’s redeployment comes just days after the Public Petitions Committee summoned Governors Hyacinth Alia (Benue) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), along with the speakers and leadership of their respective state assemblies, to answer questions regarding ongoing political crises in their legislatures.

The summons was prompted by a petition submitted by the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, a civil society organisation. The hearing was scheduled for May 8.

The committee demanded that the governors explain why the House of Representatives should not intervene and assume legislative functions in the affected states. However, both governors have rejected the summons, arguing that the federal parliament lacks constitutional authority to compel their appearance.

Several civil society groups have also opposed the summons, citing constitutional immunity granted to governors and asserting that they are accountable only to their state assemblies.