Reps move to simplify impeachment process of President

Posted by admin House, Legislature Wednesday, June 5th, 2013

A bill with the aim of simplifying the procedure for impeaching the country’s President and Vice-President passed second reading at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The bill seeks to amend Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) “to remove the ambiguities in the process of removal of the President and the Vice-President from office on allegations of gross misconduct and to provide for a more transparent and democratic procedure for impeachment…”

Sponsored by a lawmaker from Bauchi State, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, it seeks to adopt the American model of impeachment by giving the sole powers to remove the President to the National Assembly.

According to Dogara, adopting this model will alter the present constitutional requirement where the Chief Justice of Nigeria will constitute a panel of seven persons to investigate any allegations of gross misconduct made against the President.

He stated that this power would now be transferred to the Senate, which would sit to convict the President after he would have been impeached by the House.

However, he added that the CJN would preside over the sitting of the Senate to convict the President.

Dogara claimed that the current provision whittled down the powers of the National Assembly, noting that should the CJN’s panel fail to establish the allegations levelled against the President, the legislature would be ridiculed.

He spoke further on why the current provision in Section 143 needs to be changed, “Once the omnipotent panel of seven is constituted by the CJN, who himself is an appointee of the President, and the panel reaches a decision, no authority, not even the courts can question it.

“This may ridicule the National Assembly to the high heavens.

“It will be unprecedently ridiculous for a body consisting of 469 members to pass a resolution supported by two-thirds of its members only for a panel of seven to throw it out.”

Dogora tried to rally support for the bill by telling his colleagues that President Gooduck Jonathan was not the target of the bill.

“This bill is not talking about a particular office holder here.

“It has nothing to do with the current administration”, he added.

Another lawmaker from Benue State, Mr. Emmanuel Jime, also told the House that Jonathan was not the target of the bill.

“This bill is not meant to impeach President Jonathan.

“It is an attempt to return to the House the powers that belongs to us to call check the Executive,” he added.

However, many members kicked against the bill, describing it as “unnecessary, “undemocratic” and “a waste of parliamentary time.”

Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, known for supporting such reform bills in the past, opposed this one.

The Action Congress of Nigeria legislator from Lagos State expressed concern over the “timing” of the bill, which he said could send the wrong signals over its real intention.

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