Why We Made U-Turn On Bill To Strip VP, Govs Of Immunity-Reps

• Say There’s Need To Subject Certain Provisions Of Bill To Debate
• Reps Move To Create Office Of Prime Minister
• Anger In Senate Over Rejection Of Motion To Immortalise Late INEC Boss, Nwosu

In a dramatist twist, the House of Representatives has rescinded its decision on the second reading of a bill for an Act to remove the immunity conferred on the vice president, state governors and their deputies.

Earlier on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, forty-two constitutional amendment bills scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

Prominent among the bills was the one to remove the immunity conferred on the vice president, governors, and their deputies to curb corruption, eradicate impunity, and enhance accountability in public office.

The bill was sponsored by Solomon Bob, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Rivers State.

Bob noted that the bill seeks to “promote accountability in public office” by removing the immunity currently granted to the vice-president, governors and their deputies.

Some of the notable proposals that scaled the second reading on Wednesday include:

A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to qualify the immunity conferred on the president, remove the immunity conferred on the vice president, governors, and their deputies, to curb corruption, eradicate impunity, and enhance accountability in public office.

However, the House rescinded the second reading passage, saying this based on the need to subject certain provisions of the bill to debate.

The abrupt U-turn came on Thursday after Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere moved a motion to rescind the decision, effectively halting further progress on the proposed legislation.

Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who presided over the plenary session said the decision on the bills is to enable the House to conduct a more robust debate by the lawmakers.

“We want to apologize to the sponsors of the bills, but this action is to enable the House to have a further debate considering the importance of the subject matters,” Kalu said.

Amid the ruckus, a bill to create the Office of the Prime Minister as head of government and the Office of President as head of state, and to provide a framework for the mode of election to the said offices, has passed a second reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill was among 32 Constitution amendment bills that scaled second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Also among the bills is a bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for specific seats for women in the National Assembly and state houses of assembly.

Another is a bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to reduce the period for determination of pre-election petition matters and provide for the establishment of pre-election tribunals for pre-election matters and regulate the process of suspending a member of the National Assembly from legislative duties.

A bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to review the requirements that qualifies persons to be elected as President and Vice-President, governors and deputy governors, passed second reading as well.

Also, a bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to review the status of the Federal Capital Territory as regards the election of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and bills for the creation of Wan State and Gobir State, equally passed second reading.

About 113 Constitution amendment bills have so far passed second reading.

Meanwhile, there is anger in the Senate as Senators under the aegis of the South-East caucus walked out of the chamber on Thursday following the upper chamber’s second rejection of a motion to immortalise the late Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chairman of the Caucus and senator representing Abia South, reintroduced the motion to immortalise the late Nwosu, as he did during the plenary on Wednesday.

Abaribe proposed naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after Nwosu “in recognition of his role in laying the foundation for the commission in 1993 and overseeing what is widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest presidential election”.

Abaribe, in the motion co-sponsored by 15 other senators, argued that Nwosu deserved to be immortalised alongside other heroes of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

He also urged the federal government to confer a posthumous national honour on the late NEC chairman.

Abaribe had earlier announced that the motion had the backing of all senators from the south-east, as well as senate minority leader Abba Moro, Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta north, and Kebbi Senators Adamu Aliero and Yahaya Abdullahi.

However, lawmakers rejected the resolutions when it was put to a voice vote by Barau Jibrin, the deputy senate president.

In a spontaneous display of anger, members of the South-East Caucus led by Abaribe, walked out of the chamber to address the press.

Abaribe told journalists that the South-East Caucus was displeased with the senate’s rejection of the move to honor the late Nwosu.

“We came here just to make a brief statement after the vote that was taken on the floor with regard to our motion to immortalize Professor Humphrey Nwosu,” he said.

“We had three prayers. The first prayer, which was for them, was for the senate to recommend to the executive that given the fact that Professor Humphrey Nwosu was the person who actually laid the foundation of the present INEC headquarters and commenced the building before that particular NEC was dissolved by the military in 1993, we felt that we should recommend that the executive name that INEC building after him.

“This is also in consonance with what Professor Jega, a former INEC chairman, said on Tuesday at the colloquium for Professor Humphrey Nwosu.

“He was surprised that up to this moment, Humphrey Nwosu has not been recognized or honored by the government of Nigeria, who today are benefiting from his plans and the legacy of conducting the freest and fairest election in the country.

“We also had another prayer that even if they don’t do that, they should also honor Professor Nwosu by giving him a national honor which was also rejected.

“But we are not deterred. The reason is simple. It may be delayed, but it will not be denied.

The lawmakers thereafter asked President Bola Tinubu to honor Nwosu’s legacy.

 “We seize this opportunity to specifically appeal to President Bola Tinubu to immortalize the NEC chairman.”