The Presidency said on Sunday that it was hasty to speculate on what might be the reaction of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to the proposed law seeking to remove immunity against criminal prosecution for certain categories of political office holders.
The affected office holders are the Vice-President, governors and deputy governors.
The Presidency also said the introduction of the piece of legislation by the National Assembly had not caused any tension between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The bill, entitled, ‘An Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to qualify criminal liability for certain public officers under Section 308, passed second reading at the Senate on Thursday.
It was sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
Omo-Agege is the Deputy President of the Senate.
The bill seeks to remove immunity against prosecution for the affected office holders in relation to financial misappropriation while in office.
However, the provision excludes the President.
But speculation is rife that the President may not sign the bill.
It was learnt that governors might also mobilise against the bill at the Houses of Assembly to scuttle its final passage.
“This legislation does not favour a VP, who may also aspire to become the President tomorrow. Again, some serving governors may also become VPs tomorrow. A criminal prosecution that indicts them is not in their political interest,” a senior official informed The PUNCH in Abuja.
Reacting to speculation on what Buhari’s decision might be, his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Mr Umar Elyakub, said the Presidency would not speculate on a likely presidential position because the bill was still work in progress.
He noted that such a bill that “generated interest”, would have to be first passed by the Senate that originated it, and forwarded to the House for concurrence.
Elyakub stated that the executive arm considered the bill as one of the duties of the National Assembly “that is making laws for the country.”
He added, “Certainly, the government will have a position on any bill, but I will not pre-empt the outcome of this bill.
“At this particular point, no comments can be made. The bill may even die a natural death at the Senate.
“The bill has to go through public hearings. These will be done by both houses, and Nigerians will be invited to give their opinions before the committees forward their recommendations to the general floor. At the public hearings, everyone can speak and give their views.”
On whether bill had caused any frictions between the Presidency and the National Assembly, Elyakub replied, “There is a harmonious relationship and ours is not to usurp anybody’s powers.
“So, let the National Assembly do their work as an independent body that can pass any law that they want.”

By John Ameh