Aondona Dajoh, the speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, has resigned, saying his decision was taken in good faith and in the best interest of the state.
Dajoh’s resignation was contained in a letter he personally signed, dated August 24, 2025, and made available to Channels Television.
The letter, titled ‘Resignation As The Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly,’ read in part:
“I write to resign my position as the Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, effective today, August 24, 2025.
“This is done in good faith and in the best interest of the state. I want to appreciate my dear colleagues for the opportunity they gave me to be the first among equals.
“I pledge to remain committed to my duties as a legislator and representative of Gboko West State Constituency.”
Following the resignation, the Assembly, in an emergency plenary session, elected Alfred Berger, representing Makurdi North, as the new Speaker. Berger’s suspension, alongside three other lawmakers, was also set aside during the sitting presided over by Deputy Speaker Lami Ogenyi.
Berger, backed by Governor Hyacinth Alia, pledged to work with Dajoh and fellow lawmakers to advance the development agenda of the state.
Last Friday, the House suspended Berger (Makurdi North), Terna Shimawua (Kian), Cyril Ekong (Obi), and James Umoru (Apa) for six months, following an alleged attempt to impeach Dajoh.
The Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, in a motion of urgent importance, accused the four lawmakers of trying to destabilize the Assembly with a “needless crisis.” Acting on the motion, the Speaker directed the Sergeant at Arms to escort the suspended members out of the chambers.
Dajoh also named Audu Elias as the new spokesperson of the House, replacing Berger.
Governor Hyacinth Alia denied any role in the impeachment attempt. His Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, said in a statement:
“The governor, Hyacinth Alia, is not aware of and has no involvement whatsoever in any purported attempt to remove the speaker or in any activities currently taking place in the Benue state house of assembly.
“The governor continues to enjoy a cordial and productive working relationship with the Dajoh-led assembly and remains committed to supporting it in the discharge of its legislative duties for the overall development of Benue state.”
A day before the resignation, the House screened and confirmed six commissioner nominees but rejected Timothy Ornguga following petitions from his former students and concerns about his qualifications, including the lack of a primary school certificate.
During plenary, the Majority Leader presented four petitions against Ornguga, while Tarka Constituency lawmaker Manger Manger questioned his academic credentials.
The House asked Governor Alia to send replacements for Ornguga and James Dwen, who also failed to address issues raised against his nomination.
