Makurdi, November 11, 2025
The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended two former principal officers for gross misconduct, following findings that they misused their official positions for personal gain while in office.
The suspended lawmakers are Mr. Saater Tiseer (APC/Mbagwa), former Majority Leader, and Mr. Michael Audu (PDP/Adoka-Ugboju), former Minority Leader. Tiseer was suspended for six months, while Audu received a three-month suspension.
The decision was reached during plenary on Tuesday after a motion was moved by the current Majority Leader, Mr. Thomas Dugeri (APC/Kwande West), who cited gross misconduct as the reason for the disciplinary action.
Dugeri noted that the report of the ad-hoc committee established to investigate the activities of the former leadership indicted the two former officers. The committee found them guilty of gross misconduct and abuse of office that brought the House into disrepute.
According to Dugeri, the actions of the duo violated the oath of office and oath of membership they swore to uphold, adding that the House had a constitutional duty to discipline any member found guilty of gross misconduct or unethical behaviour.
He further explained that maintaining the credibility of the Assembly was crucial to the peace and stability of the state, noting that misconduct among its ranks could undermine public trust.
The motion was seconded by Dr. Elias Audu (APC/Gwer East), who supported the suspension and emphasized that the stability of the Assembly directly influences the stability of the state.
“When the House is not stable, the state will be unstable. I urge the Assembly to set up a special committee to work with the Ethics Committee to dig deeper into issues surrounding the former leaders,” Audu said.
In his ruling, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Alfred Emberga, approved the motion and declared the suspension effective immediately. He stated that the disciplinary measure for gross misconduct would serve as a deterrent to other members who might contemplate similar actions in the future. Visit GMTNewsng for more news.