A new speaker for the Benue Assembly, Alfred Emberga, has been sworn in.

After Hon. Aondona Dajoh resigned as speaker, the Benue State House of Assembly appointed Makurdi North Constituency representative Hon. Alfred Berger to the position on Sunday.

During an extraordinary plenary session presided over by Hon. Lami Ogenyi, Deputy Speaker, Berger took the oath of office. He reassured parliamentarians that he would work along with his colleagues, including the former Speaker, to further the state’s development goal.

“I consider this a call to service and a renewed responsibility to lead with fairness, inclusivity, and transparency,” Berger stated following his victory.

In order to fulfil our legislative mandate, I will prioritise restoring harmony to the House, mending fences with my colleagues, and collaborating closely with Governor Hyacinth Alia and the people of Benue.

House members unanimously revoked the suspension of the new speaker and three others last Friday, following their claimed attempt to depose Dajoh. The speaker’s emergence followed shortly after. So that a new leader could be elected, the chamber decided to suspend its rules.

In his letter of resignation dated August 24, 2025, Hon. Dajoh stated that he was resigning in good faith and believing it was for the state’s best interest. He vowed to continue serving the people of Gboko West Constituency with all his heart.

Prior to his suspension, Berger was the House spokesperson, and he stressed that reconciliation would be a top priority for his leadership. He made the point that problems from the past were inevitable in legislative politics and shouldn’t prevent the group from moving forward.

I don’t harbour resentment. “Our current challenge is to come together as a legislature, pass laws that really help our citizens, and back the executive as they push for policies that benefit us all,” he continued.

Distancing himself from suspicions linking him to the leadership transition, Governor Hyacinth Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary Tersoo Kula, stressed that the process was entirely internal to the assembly.