The House of Representatives has reversed its decision on a bill that aimed to remove immunity from the vice president, governors, and their deputies. The change in stance came on Thursday after the Majority Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere, raised a motion to reconsider the earlier approval.
The bill, originally sponsored by Solomon Bob, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Rivers State, had successfully passed its second reading on Wednesday. Bob noted that the proposed legislation was intended to “promote accountability in public office” by removing legal protections currently shielding top government officials from prosecution while in office.
Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution grants immunity to the president, vice president, governors, and their deputies. The section states that these officials “shall not be subjected to civil or criminal proceedings” while holding office. It also protects them from arrest, imprisonment, or any court process requiring their appearance.
Bob argued that eliminating this immunity would help curb corruption, reduce abuse of power, and improve transparency in governance. However, despite initially passing the second reading, the House later reconsidered its stance, withdrawing its earlier approval of the bill.
In addition to this decision, the House also rescinded its approval of another bill that sought to abolish the death penalty. That bill had also passed its second reading on Wednesday before lawmakers decided to revisit their stance.
