Shehu Sani And Academic Expert Call For Equal Immunity For President And Vice President

Shehu Sani And Academic Expert Call For Equal Immunity For President And Vice President

The recent proposal by the House of Representatives to strip the Vice President, governors, and their deputies of their immunity, while retaining the president’s immunity, has sparked considerable debate. Stakeholders, including political scientists, civil rights activists, and politicians, have expressed concerns over the logic behind the proposed legislation, arguing that both the president and vice president, elected on a joint ticket, should share the same privileges.

Dr. Aminu Hayatu, a senior lecturer in Political Science at Bayero University, Kano, and Shehu Sani, a human rights activist and former senator from Kaduna, have voiced their opposition to the bill. They contend that any move to remove immunity should apply equally to both the president and vice president. According to them, “What is good for the president should also be good for the vice president.” They argue that attempting to strip the vice president’s immunity while sparing the president creates an imbalance and undermines the joint nature of their election….READ MORE….

The bill, which recently passed its second reading in the House of Representatives, seeks to amend Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to remove immunity for the vice president, governors, and deputy governors. Sponsored by Rep. Solomon Bob (Rivers PDP), the bill aims to curb abuse of office and enhance transparency in governance. Under the proposed amendment, immunity would be limited to the president, and only when the vice president is acting as president in accordance with Section 145 of the constitution. Immunity would also be removed when officials act in an unofficial capacity or when their conduct is deemed criminal.

Dr. Hayatu criticized the proposal for singling out the vice president, asking, “Why isolate someone who is also a party to the ticket?” He stressed that both positions should be treated equally as they are elected together, and the debate should focus on whether the executive should retain immunity at all.

Shehu Sani also expressed his disagreement with the proposal, using his verified X handle (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts. He acknowledged that removing immunity for the vice president and governors could ensure that no one is above the law but warned that it could also be used to target individuals unfairly. He stated, “If the vice president should have no immunity, then neither should the president.” He urged Nigerians to engage with the issue before it becomes too late and emphasized the need for public interest in the proposed amendment.