PLANS TO EASE PRESIDENT, VP’S IMPEACHMENT BEGINS

…as Reps move to amend constitution

A Bill already gazetted by
the House of Representatives and exclusively obtained by Sunday Mirror is in the works, to make the procedure
for impeaching President and Vice-President less tedious and easier.

The Bill is short-titled “An Act to Alter the Provisions of
Section 143 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to
Remove Ambiguities in the Process of Removal of the President and the Vice
President from Office on Allegations of Gross Misconduct.”

The Bill is being sponsored by Hon. Yakubu Dogara (PDP-Bauchi)
and two others. Dogara, an international lawyer and Chairman of the Committee
on House Services, also seeks to make the lower Chamber the impeaching House,
while the Senate would after the President or his Deputy’s impeachment, set up
a quasi-judicial panel presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and
comprising lawmakers acting as prosecutors, before a final verdict either nails
or exonerates the President or a V-P.

The Bill states in part: “The President or Vice-President shall
be removed from office on allegations of gross misconduct in accordance with
the provisions of this section.”

The Bill seeks to amend sub-section 2 of 143 to read that,
“Whenever the Committee of the House of Representatives in charge of Judiciary
decides on whether or not to proceed with impeachment proceedings against the
holder of the office of the President or Vice President on allegations of gross
misconduct.

According to the Bill, “the Chairman of the Committee on
Judiciary of the House of Representatives shall propose a motion to begin an
inquiry into such allegations of gross misconduct, and if the motion is passed
by a simple majority of the House, the Committee shall be mandated to carry out
an inquiry into the allegations.”

The Bill further proposes that “The committee on Judiciary upon
conclusion of such an inquiry shall present its findings to the whole House,
stating that impeachment is warranted encompassed in Articles of Impeachment,
or that impeachment is not called for”.

The House also seeks to see the process through, in line with
rules drawn by its Committee on Business and Rules and to sack the President
and his Vice by a simple majority. “If any Article of Impeachment so considered
by the House of Representatives is approved or passed by a simple majority vote
of members been present and voting, the President or Vice-President shall be
impeached”.

The Bill adds that “Upon the impeachment of the holder of the
office by the House of Representatives, the Speaker shall within 7 days
transmit the House Resolution to the Senate for Trial”, and also “The Shall
within fourteen days of the receipt of the House Resolution conduct a trial to
be presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, with a select Committee of
the House of the House members serving as prosecutors.

The Bill in part, however proposes that the impeached Executive
“shall have the right to defend himself in person and be represented before the
Senate by Legal Practitioners of his choice”.

The Senate, on its part would
vote after the trial process is exhausted by a 2/3 to oust the President or his
vice. One of the drafters of the piece of legislation who spoke with Sunday Mirror at the weekend, said the Bill was made
in line with the procedure for impeachment of the Executive in the United
States of America. He said “The idea is to make impeaching the President easier
and more democratic.”

He added, “The Bill though is not targetted at any particular
person, the present times call for an easier process of impeachment”.