The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Aondona Dajoh, has tendered his resignation.
Dajoh’s resignation is documented in a letter he personally signed, dated August 24, 2025, which has been made available to the news outlet.
The letter, titled ‘Resignation As The Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly,’ states in part, “I am writing to resign from my position as the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, effective today, August 24, 2025.
“This decision is made in good faith and in the best interest of the state. I wish to express my gratitude to my esteemed colleagues for the opportunity to serve as the first among equals.
“I commit to remaining dedicated to my responsibilities as a legislator and representative of the Gboko West State Constituency.”
In the wake of his resignation, the Benue State Assembly convened an emergency plenary session, during which Alfred Berger, representing Makurdi North, was elected as the new Speaker, having his suspension along with three other lawmakers lifted on Friday.
The session, overseen by the deputy speaker, Lami Ogenyi, initially suspended its operational rules to facilitate the process of appointing a new speaker.
Berger, who has recently returned from suspension and is supported by Governor Hyacinth Alia, has pledged to collaborate with Dajoh and the other lawmakers to advance the state’s development agenda.
The Benue State House of Assembly had previously suspended the lawmaker representing Makurdi North, Alfred Berger; his counterpart from Kian state constituency, Terna Shimawua; Cyril Ekong from Obi state constituency; and James Umoru, representing Apa state constituency, for a duration of six months.
This action was taken by the House following an attempt to impeach Speaker Aondona Dajoh the night before.
The Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, introduced a motion of urgent importance, calling for the suspension of the four lawmakers for their attempt to disrupt the state assembly, which he described as an unnecessary crisis.
Following the motion, the Speaker instructed the Sergeant at Arms to escort the suspended lawmakers out of the chambers.
Dajoh has appointed Audu Elias as the new spokesperson for the House, succeeding Berger, who was suspended from the position.
Nevertheless, the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, stated that he was not involved in any alleged efforts to impeach Dajoh.
A statement from the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, partially stated, “Governor Hyacinth Alia is not aware of and has no involvement whatsoever in any supposed attempt to remove the speaker or in any activities currently occurring in the Benue State House of Assembly.
“The governor maintains a cordial and productive working relationship with the assembly led by Dajoh and remains dedicated to supporting it in fulfilling its legislative responsibilities for the overall advancement of Benue State.”
Twenty-four hours prior, the House of Assembly screened and confirmed six nominees for commissioner positions, but rejected Timothy Ornguga’s nomination due to allegations outlined in four petitions from his former students and his lack of a primary school certificate.
During the plenary session presided over by Dajoh, the lawmakers requested that Governor Alia provide replacements for Ornguga and James Dwen, as both individuals failed to address the concerns raised in the petitions against their nominations.
After Ornguga, a law professor, introduced himself, the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, presented four petitions written against him, while Manger Manger, the lawmaker representing Tarka Constituency, questioned his academic qualifications.
