The Benue State House of Assembly has elected a new speaker.
The new speaker, Alfred Berger, representing Makurdi north state constituency, was elected on Sunday during an emergency sitting presided over by Lami Danladi, the deputy speaker, following Hyacinth Dajoh’s resignation.
He was one of the four lawmakers suspended by the assembly on Friday over an alleged plot to impeach Dajoh.
Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, had distanced himself from the controversy, saying he had no role in the alleged plot to remove Dajoh as speaker.
The Benue assembly has been involved in a crisis that has dragged on for months.
In February, the Benue assembly suspended 13 lawmakers for three months for allegedly opposing the removal of Maurice Ikpambese, the state’s chief judge, whom they accused of gross misconduct and corruption.
The suspended lawmakers were said to have voted for Ikpambese’s removal but later dissociated themselves from the decision, citing procedural irregularities.
In July, some of the suspended lawmakers were reinstated.
