Bill against president, governors immunity fails in the Senate

- An attempt to lift the immunity against prosecution being enjoyed by certain political office holders has suffered a setback

- The public officials are the president, vice president, state governors and their deputies

- The Senate has suspended the consideration of the bill

A report by The Guardian indicates that an attempt to lift the immunity against prosecution being enjoyed by the president, vice president, state governors and their deputies have suffered a setback.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

According to the report, the Senate has suspended the consideration of the bill which sought to amend Section 308 (2) of the 1999 Constitution to allow for the prosecution of the affected leaders on matters relating to economic and financial crimes even when in office.The bill was sponsored by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (Labour Party, Delta state). The Senate Bill 329 which has already been gazetted and introduced to the lawmakers was referred to the committee on constitution review chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu last December.

The bill however suffered the setback because it was introduced to the Senate after the constitution review committee had submitted a report on the key amendments to be effected in the life of the Eighth National Assembly.

There were speculation that the bill was frustrated by state governors but a source close to the committee dismissed it as a “baseless rumour.”