BREAKING: ‘Nobody Will Be Above The Law’

The move by the House of Representatives to strip the Vice President, governors, and their deputies of their immunity while sparing the president has stirred debates among stakeholders, who have criticized the logic behind the proposed legislation.

Political scientists, civil rights activists, and politicians have all weighed in on the matter, arguing that since the president and vice president are usually elected on a joint ticket, both should enjoy the same privileges.

Dr. Aminu Hayatu, a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Bayero University, Kano, and Shehu Sani, a human rights activist and former senator from Kaduna, have both expressed concerns about the proposed amendments. They argue that any proposal to remove immunity must apply to both the president and vice president.

According to them, “What is good for the president is also good for the vice president.” They maintain that any attempt to strip the vice president of immunity, while sparing the president, undermines the joint nature of their election and creates an inconsistency in the law.

The bill, which was passed for second reading in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, seeks to amend Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to remove immunity from the vice president, governors, and deputy governors. The bill was among 42 others considered and passed during a plenary session presided over by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu. Earlier, the House had passed 39 constitution amendment bills for second reading.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Solomon Bob (Rivers PDP), aims to curb abuse of office and promote transparency in governance. It seeks to amend Section 308 by limiting immunity to the president, and only when the vice president is acting as president in accordance with Section 145 of the constitution.

Under the proposed amendment, immunity would be removed for those acting in an unofficial capacity or when the conduct is deemed criminal.

Dr. Hayatu criticized the bill for singling out the vice president while sparing the president, asking, “Why are you isolating someone that is also a party to the ticket?”

He emphasized that both positions are elected together and should be treated equally.

“What we need to focus on is whether the executive should maintain that privilege of immunity or not,” he stated, adding that the debate should not center on individuals being treated differently.

Similarly, Shehu Sani expressed his disagreement with the proposal, taking to his verified X handle (formerly Twitter) to share his concerns.

He noted, “The positive aspects of removing immunity for VP and governors is that nobody will be above the law; the negative aspect of it is that it can be used to witch hunt VPs and governors.” Sani further argued, “If a VP should have no immunity, whoever is the President should not have it also.”

He also called on Nigerians to engage with the issue before it becomes too late, urging them to “show interest in it (the proposed amendment bill).”