The Nigerian House of Representatives has passed a bill aiming to strip the Vice President, state governors, and deputy governors of their immunity from civil and criminal prosecution. The bill, sponsored by Solomon Bob, was one of 42 constitutional amendment bills passed for second reading on Wednesday. These bills have now been referred to the Committee on Constitution Review for further consideration.
The proposed bill seeks to amend Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, which currently grants immunity to the President, Vice President, Governors, and Deputy Governors from any civil or criminal proceedings during their time in office. This immunity extends to protection from arrest, imprisonment, or court actions.
However, the new bill suggests that immunity should only apply to the President and Vice President when the latter is acting as President, in line with Section 145 of the Constitution. Additionally, it proposes that immunity would not apply if the person is acting in an unofficial capacity, if their actions are outside their powers, or if their conduct is criminal in nature.
Section 308(1) of the Constitution currently ensures that no civil or criminal proceeding can be initiated against these officials while in office, and they are also exempt from arrest or imprisonment during their term. However, the new amendment seeks to limit this protection, narrowing it to the President and Vice President under specific conditions.
In addition to the immunity bill, the House also passed bills for second reading to strengthen local government administration. One bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, aims to ensure that local governments are run by democratically elected councils and prohibits caretaker committees. Another bill seeks to remove local government councils from the federal funding tier, instead vesting their creation and funding responsibilities in the state governments.
Other bills passed include proposals to mandate the President and state governors to present their budget estimates at least 60 days before the end of the preceding year. Additionally, there were motions to provide constitutional roles for traditional rulers and to separate the positions of Attorney General from the Minister of Justice.
These bills represent a significant effort to amend the Nigerian Constitution, focusing on accountability and governance reforms across various levels of leadership.
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