By: Bayero Ade
The Nigerian Senate has rectified an error it made last Wednesday when it mistakenly invoked Section 157 (1) of the Constitution to remove Mr. Danladi Umar as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged misconduct.
On Tuesday, the Senate passed a resolution to invoke the correct constitutional provisions under Paragraph 17(3) of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Section 22(3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15, LFN 2004. These provisions were cited as the legal basis for Mr. Umar’s removal from office.
The Senate also announced its intention to seek the approval of the House of Representatives for the resolution, in line with the relevant constitutional and statutory guidelines.
In a statement, the Senate urged the public to disregard any confusion or misinformation arising from the earlier resolution concerning Umar’s removal.
The correction followed a motion sponsored by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), who explained that the initial resolution adopted on November 20, 2024, contained a mistake that needed to be rectified to avoid future misunderstandings.
Before the close of the session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio confirmed that the House of Representatives had concurred with the Senate’s decision.
Senator Bamidele, while addressing the chamber, emphasized the need for the Senate to take immediate action to correct what he described as a “Freudian slip” in the initial resolution.
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