It’s impossible to impeach the President under Nigerian 1999 constitution ―Dogara

THE Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon Yakubu Dogara has declared that the provision of section 143 of the 1999 constitution has made it impossible for any President of the country to be impeached.

Dogara made the statement on Monday, while delivering a lecture at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), third public lecture series tagged ‘depending democracy: the role of the legislature.’

The speaker explained that, the provision of section 143 of the constitution has made any Nigerian President the most powerful President in the world.

Dogara further explained that, the provision of section 143 provides that after indicting the president of any illicit act, the chief judge of the federation who is an appointee of the president is saddled with the responsibility of setting up a 7 man committee to probe the president.

Dogara added that, since the chief judge is an appointee of the president, he is prone to intimidation by the president and would set up committee members who would dance to the tone of the president.

The speaker said whatever decision the 7 man committee comes up with, cannot be challenged in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Dogara said in developed countries, “when they want to impeach the president, the lower house indicts the president while the upper house impeaches the president without referring it to any committee.

“During the 7th assembly one of my colleagues and I, sponsored a bill to amend that very section 143, but before I knew it, my colleague met me that he wants to withdraw from the bill.The day we were to vote on the bill, the then PDP chairman came and asked us to withdraw it because we wanted to use it to impeach the then President Goodluck Jonathan”, he said.

The speaker said this section of the constitution protects the vice president, governors, and deputy governors except when there is a ‘strange hand’ to support the state lawmakers.