Benue PDP Erupts: State Assembly Under Fire for Ex-Speaker Dajoh's Suspension

The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned the ongoing suspension of the immediate past Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Aondona Dajoh, who represents the Gboko West State Constituency. The party views this development as a significant threat to democratic principles within the state. According to a statement released on Wednesday by the State Publicity Secretary, Bright Yima Antyo, the PDP characterizes the actions taken against Dajoh as political persecution, an abuse of power, and a deliberate strategy to silence opposition voices within the legislative body.

The PDP recalled that Aondona Dajoh was initially suspended based on unproven allegations of plotting to impeach Governor Hyacinth Alia. Despite months passing since these claims were made public, the party asserts that no credible evidence has ever been presented to substantiate them. Subsequently, Dajoh's suspension was extended for an additional six months, purportedly due to new allegations of a plot against the current Speaker. Again, the PDP highlights that no convincing evidence was made available to the public to support this extended suspension.

The latest extension of Dajoh's suspension for another three months, reportedly without any clearly stated reason, has been described by the PDP as a "disturbing pattern of endless punishment without transparency or fairness." This repeated imposition of penalties based on unsubstantiated claims, the party argues, raises serious concerns regarding the state of democracy and the independence of the legislature in Benue State.

The PDP has urgently called upon the leadership of the Benue State House of Assembly to immediately re-evaluate Dajoh’s continued suspension. They emphasize the necessity of upholding the fundamental principles of fairness, transparency, and democratic accountability. Furthermore, Bright Yima Antyo urged civil society organizations, constitutional advocates, and various democracy stakeholders to closely monitor the unfolding events within the Benue State House of Assembly. He called upon them to vocally oppose any actions that could potentially undermine democratic governance and the rule of law in the state.

The party's statement underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that a scenario where an elected lawmaker faces repeated punishment based on unproven allegations sends a dangerous message to the public, eroding confidence in democratic institutions. The Benue PDP believes that the treatment of Aondona Dajoh transcends ordinary 'legislative discipline' and increasingly appears to be a concerted effort to politically isolate and silence an independent voice within the Assembly. This prolonged suspension has effectively denied the people of Gboko West Constituency proper representation in the Benue State House of Assembly for nearly a year, all based on accusations lacking publicly available proof.

Adding to these developments, the Benue State House of Assembly had also extended the suspension of former Majority Leader Saater Tiseer for an additional three months. This extension, like Dajoh's, is pending the determination or withdrawal of separate court cases that have been instituted against the legislature.