By Adeola Badru

The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has condemned the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions’ summons of the Speakers of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly.

The Conference viewed the summons as an unconstitutional overreach that undermines the autonomy of state legislatures.

In a letter to the committee, conference chairman Adebo Ogundoyin, speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, argued that the National Assembly’s oversight powers are limited to federal matters.

He emphasised the constitutional independence of state legislatures, asserting that their presiding officers cannot be summoned over internal legislative issues unless a clear constitutional or federal matter is involved.

The speakers of Benue and Zamfara have also objected to the summons, stating that the concerns raised are purely domestic and outside the National Assembly’s jurisdiction.

The conference cautioned against undermining the constitutional independence of state assemblies, warning of potential risks to democracy at the state level.

They, however, called on the National Assembly to respect the separation of powers and mutual institutional respect, reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law at all levels of governance.