The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN) on Tuesday rejected summons issued by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions to the Speakers of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly.
The CSSLN conveyed its position in a statement issued by its Chairman, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin.
The summons are reportedly based on a petition by a civil society organisations, “Guardians of Democracy’ and “The Rule of Law.”
The conference’, however, described the summon as an overreach of constitutional authority and a direct challenge to Nigeria’s federal structure and the autonomy of state legislatures as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
The statement noted that a formal letter of objection had been sent to the committee.
According to the CSSLN, the investigative and oversight powers of the National Assembly, as outlined in Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, are limited strictly to matters within the federal jurisdiction.
It stressed that state legislatures were independent arms of government, and their presiding officers “cannot be summoned over internal legislative matters unless a clear constitutional or federal issue is involved.”
“The Speakers of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly have independently written to express strong constitutional objections to the summons.
“They affirmed that the issues raised are strictly domestic and fall outside the National Assembly’s oversight jurisdiction,” the statement said.
The conference further warned that any attempt to undermine the constitutional independence of state assemblies could set a dangerous precedent, potentially weakening democratic governance at the sub-national level.
The CSSLN urged the national assembly to respect the principles of separation of powers and mutual institutional regard, while reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law across all levels of government.(NAN)
