Lar Beni Butmak (Hon.)

About Lar Beni Butmak (Hon.)

Lar Beni Butmak, commonly known as Beni Lar, is a Nigerian lawyer and politician from Plateau State. She represents the Langtang North/Langtang South Federal Constituency and has had a long career in the House of Representatives. She was first elected to the National Assembly in 2007 and returned to the House in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, making her a five-term federal legislator. She was born on 12 August 1967.

Beni Lar is the daughter of Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the first elected governor of Plateau State and a founding national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Professor Mary Lar. Growing up in a politically prominent family exposed her to public affairs from an early age, although her own career developed through law, advocacy and legislative service. In public accounts about her upbringing, she has spoken about her father's emphasis on education, hard work and allowing his children to make their own decisions while providing guidance.

She trained as a lawyer before entering elective politics. Her professional background in law contributed to her subsequent interest in legislation and human-rights issues. Over the course of her parliamentary career, she became particularly associated with issues concerning women's rights, children's protection, equality and access to justice. The National Assembly records her date of birth and long membership of the House, while the National Association of Legislative and Technological Faculties identifies her as a lawyer and an advocate for women's rights.

Lar entered the House of Representatives in 2007, representing Langtang North/Langtang South under the PDP. She retained the constituency in subsequent elections, including the 2011 and 2015 elections, and returned again in 2019. The official National Assembly profile confirms her membership of the House from 2007 to 2019, while INEC's 2019 result records her as the PDP candidate who was declared elected in the constituency.

During her years in the National Assembly, Lar held several committee responsibilities. She served as Chairperson of the House Committee on Human Rights in the Ninth Assembly and had previously headed committees including Women’s Affairs and Science and Technology. Her legislative interests have included women's participation, human rights, education, children's welfare and institutional development. In 2021, for example, she sponsored legislation seeking to establish the Federal University of Agriculture, Sabon Gida, Langtang South, reflecting her interest in expanding higher-education opportunities within her constituency and beyond.

Her legislative record also includes work on national institutions and public policy. In 2022, she sponsored the National Agency for Technology Management (Establishment) Bill, which subsequently passed through the legislative process. Her parliamentary activities have therefore extended beyond constituency matters to legislation concerning technology, education and public institutions.

As a woman in Nigerian federal politics, Lar has also participated in advocacy around women's representation and gender equality. She has supported legislative measures concerning discrimination against women and the protection of children, while her parliamentary and public activities have included engagement with women's parliamentary networks. Her human-rights work has been one of the most identifiable aspects of her legislative profile.

Following the 2023 general election, Lar returned to the House for another term, becoming one of the women serving in the 10th National Assembly. She continued to represent Langtang North/Langtang South while remaining associated with the PDP during the early part of the 10th Assembly. Her return marked her fifth term in the federal legislature since her first election in 2007.

For the 2027 general election, Lar moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and emerged as the party's candidate for the Langtang North/Langtang South Federal Constituency during the Plateau State National Assembly primaries held in May 2026. The APC primary committee declared her the winner of the ticket, with reports noting that she defeated the incumbent APC representative for the constituency. She is also listed as the APC candidate in the available 2027 candidate records.

Lar Beni Butmak's political career therefore spans nearly two decades of federal legislative service. From her first election in 2007 through successive terms in the House, she has combined a legal background with legislative work focused on human rights, women, education, technology and constituency development. Her 2026 emergence as the APC candidate for Langtang North/Langtang South places her in a new phase of her political career as she seeks another term representing the constituency in the 2027 National Assembly elections.