A bill sponsored by Hon. Solomon Bob, seeking to remove the immunity conferred on the vice president, governors, and their deputies has passed for second reading in the House of Representatives.
The constitutional amendment bill was passed for second reading at plenary in the House yesterday.
Spearheading the debate, Bob said Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution conferred immunity on the president, vice president, governors, and their deputies, exempting them from criminal and civil prosecution while in office.
He stated that the bill sought to alter the constitution to remove the immunity conferred on the vice president (except when acting as president), state governors, and their deputies, and to qualify the immunity conferred on the president.
Bob said: “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended (in this Bill referred to as the Principal Act) is amended as set out in this Bill.
“Section 308 of the principal Act is amended by: Substituting a new Sub-section (3) as follows:
“This section applies to a person holding the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Vice President only when acting as President in line with Section 145 of this Constitution.
“Creating sub-section (4) thereto as follows: The foregoing provisions of this Section shall be inapplicable where the person to whom this Section applies is acting in an unofficial capacity or where the conduct of the person is beyond the powers of his office or the conduct is criminal in nature.”