Benue State Speaker, Rt. Hon Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, has resigned and immediately replaced on Sunday by Hon. Alfred Berger, member representing Makurdi North Constituency.
The new Speaker’s emergence came shortly after the House unanimously lifted the suspension placed on him and three other members last Friday, following their alleged attempt to unseat Dajoh.
The chamber resolved to set aside its rules to enable the election of a new leader.
In a handwritten letter dated 24th August 2025 and addressed to the Clerk of the House, the Speaker Dajoh stated that his resignation was “done in good faith and in the best interest of the state.”
The change followed an ongoing power tussle between the incumbent Governor of the state, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, and a former Governor, now Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, over the control of the state APC structure.
The Governor and his erstwhile political benefactor reportedly made peace to the celebration of supporters.
However, those close to both politicians allege that the power tussle is far from over, as the Governor recently dissolved his entire cabinet and is in the process of constituting a new one, allegedly devoid of inputs and nominations/imposition by the SGF.
However, some sources within the government house mentioned that the rejection of a commissioner nominee who was reportedly nominated by a powerful kingmaker in the state may be the final straw that broke the camel’s back.
The commissioner nominee, a lecturer in the state university’s law department, is allegedly notorious for victimizing students.
This led to series of petitions against him by former students, some of who couldn’t graduate for offences as little as misspelling the lecturer’s name.
Berger, who was sworn in during an emergency plenary session presided over by Deputy Speaker, Hon. Lami Ogenyi, assured lawmakers of his commitment to work in unity with his colleagues, including the immediate past Speaker, to advance the state’s development agenda.
“I consider this a call to service and a renewed responsibility to lead with fairness, inclusivity, and transparency,” Berger said after his election.
“My focus will be on stabilising the House, healing past divisions, and working hand in hand with Governor Hyacinth Alia, my colleagues, and the people of Benue to deliver on our legislative mandate.”
Berger, who previously served as the House spokesperson before his suspension, emphasised that his leadership would prioritise reconciliation. He noted that challenges encountered in the past were part of legislative politics and should not stand in the way of collective progress.
“I hold no grudges. The task before us now is to unite, legislate effectively, and support the executive in driving policies that benefit our people,” he added.
