The Benue State House of Assembly has officially reinstated 13 lawmakers who were suspended three months ago for dissenting from a legislative resolution.

The move marks a significant step towards restoring unity within the state legislature after weeks of internal wrangling and political standoff.
The lawmakers were initially suspended in March for convening a press conference in which they dissociated themselves from the Assembly’s resolution recommending the suspension of the state Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese. At the time, the Assembly leadership described their actions as an affront to parliamentary ethics and collective decision-making.
During plenary on Tuesday, the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, read aloud letters of apology submitted by the lawmakers. Following contributions from members, the Speaker of the House, Hyacinth Dajoh, ruled in favour of their full reinstatement.

“Having received written apologies from all concerned members, and considering the need for harmony in the House, the suspension of the 13 lawmakers is hereby lifted,” Dajoh announced.

Earlier in June, six of the affected lawmakers had apologised and were subsequently recalled. However, the remaining seven, who initially resisted pressure to apologise, later complied, prompting the House to end the disciplinary measure against them collectively.

The suspension saga began after the Assembly passed a controversial resolution seeking the suspension of Justice Ikpambese over allegations of misconduct. While the majority of lawmakers initially supported the move, 13 of them later recanted, triggering internal conflict and accusations of political manipulation.

Observers have described the reinstatement as a pragmatic step to prevent prolonged legislative paralysis, especially as the House faces growing pressure to address governance and budgetary matters in the state.

Though the lawmakers have returned to their seats, questions remain over the political fallout from the incident and whether deeper fissures within the Assembly have been fully resolved.