How Long Will New Benue Speaker Lead?

Emergence of Hon Alfred Emberga as the new Speaker for the Benue State House of Assembly confirms reality of the plot to change leadership structure of the legislature. The new Speaker represents people of the Makurdi North State Constituency. He is of the All Progressives Congress (APC) family.

The tensed atmosphere grew late last week in the legislature when threats of impeachment came against former Speaker Aondona Dajoh! Characterized by what political scientists call "brinkmanship" it resulted to suspension of four legislators. The camp loyal to the former Speaker Dajoh alleged breach of the rules guiding conduct of members in the House. 

While fears on claims of the infraction spread, reports stated that it justify merely the conviction for suspension of the suspected political coup plotters!

Analysis of recent events in the House where the APC has majority of lawmakers ask why Governor Hyacinth Alia seems to become victim of political hostage amidst lawmakers of the same party?  

But their quarrels with him sound reasonably clear for instance and specifically that the Governor should suspend the Chairman of Benue State Universal Basic Board (SUBEB) and some heads of agencies of the government. These among other demands frayed the nerves of the executive arm of government in the state!

The demands on Governor Alia to do what the lawmakers wanted before they could approve his list of nominees for commissioners worried the Governor to meet the House leadership and strike deals on the suspension of the SUBEB Chairman and other affected officials as well as do what the lawmakers wanted before screening and confirming the nominees for appointment as commissioners. 

Reports indicated however that one of the difficult issues to resolve was clearance of the particular nomination Alia wanted to be made against overwhelming negative public opinion. But it was said again that while the Governor perhaps prioritized use of the political tool of horse trading to secure the clearance for the nominee, the hostile pressure from the public continued to mount on the legislators to disqualify the nominee!

Reports suggested that since the nominee with some other past commissioners, especially those who showed disregard for the legislature but Alia resubmitted their names for approval needed thorough examination, the House decided to disqualify in favour of the public opinion. 

The disqualification believably put the seemingly unassuming executive on collision course with the more probably naive legislature as feared today to have undermined Governor Alia's capacity to do whatever he wants in the course of his exercise of the mandate!

Why did Governor Alia deny knowledge of the threats to impeach Speaker Dajoh as stated in the first place by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) Tersoo Kula? It surprises to see Hon Dajoh believably a product of the Alia political sagacity by virtue of his unexpected emergence in 2023 as Speaker against strong odds now dumped midway. 

Why has the Governor abandoned the man he made an enterprising leader without sustaining investment in the human capital resource to pride oneself as influential god father in politics like the other politicians do as stakeholders?

Would the power play which consumed the immediate past Speaker Dajoh and produced the incumbent Emberga not tend to scare other firmly committed loyalists of Alia discernibly worry about what the future holds for them? Immediate past Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon Paul Biam may have his story to tell as alleged that he sacrificed for the Alia administration when mattered yet, kicked out of government!

The erstwhile Speaker Dajoh is equally reported to have made unforgivable sacrifices for the Alia administration to excel. Reports indicated that the former Speaker's resolve to work harmoniously with the executive arm of government in the state without the usual confrontation made many of his colleagues to accuse him of compromising integrity and independence of the state legislature.

The reports exemplified the alleged compromising relationship that Dajoh forced his legislative colleagues to unjustly sacrifice comfort particularly, by use of the makeshift sitting arrangement in the temporary legislative chamber among others to stabilize the government since its inauguration in 2023! 

Sudden release of the axe on the ex Speaker Dajoh may justify the question "how long will the new Benue Speaker lead" because, the future may appear less certain for him and other honest loyalists as shown today to commit the support as required! 

The new Speaker holds the Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the National Open University of Nigeria. He has an Higher National Diploma (HND) in Quantity Surveying from the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi and National Diploma (ND) in Quantity Surveying from the Nigeria Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies (NAITES) Makurdi.