A bill seeking to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari if he fails to name members of his cabinet within 30 days in office is currently under consideration by the house of representatives.
The bill ‘Transition and assumption of office’ which was introduced for first reading on Wednesday and sponsored by Kpam Sokpo, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Benue state.
The bill seeks to add failure to set up the cabinet within the given time as an act of misconduct that could warrant the impeachment of the president as provided for in the 1999 constitution.
It is believed the proposed law was triggered by President Muhammadu Buhari’s usual delay in naming his cabinet.
It took the president more than four months after he was inaugurated as president in 2015 and about two months after he began his second term in 2019 to name his ministers.
The new bill states:
“Subject to sections 147 and 302 of the Constitution, the President shall on assumption of office, appoint Ministers within 30 days from the date he took the oath of office.
“The President shall constitute and appoint all Boards of Government agencies and parastatals that are due for constitution and appointment within two months from the date of his assumption of office.”
It added that “where the President fails to comply with the provisions of this section without any justifiable reason, he shall be guilty of a misconduct as provided under section 143(2) (b) of the Constitution.”
That section specifically states how the president can be impeached when he is guilty of “gross misconduct in the
performance of the functions of his office”.
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