In what many analysts have described as a major setback for a process that had gulped billions of naira, the Senate and the House of Representatives may begin impeachment proceedings against outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan over his refusal to sign the 1999 amended constitution.

It can be recalled that president Jonathan vetoed the amendments in the constitution and sent it back to the senate raising some objections to amendments made by the National Assembly and passed by all the Houses of Assembly in the country.

However, the Senate yesterday convened an emergency meeting of its Committee on Constitution Amendment to discuss ways of responding to opposition of President Goodluck Jonathan to the amendments proposed by the National Assembly to the 1999 Constitution.

In addition to yesterday’s crucial meeting, the committee, which is headed by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, will also today and tomorrow, embark on a special retreat to seek further ways of addressing the issues raised by the President on the proposed amendments.

This is also as the Senate plans to devote an entire plenary session to look at ways of reacting to the position of Jonathan to the proposed amendments and sources in the National Assembly tells The Paradigm that President Jonathan may be impeached for “toeing this line”.

The Senate and the House of Representatives had passed the Fourth Alteration Bill in October 2014 and transmitted same to the 36 Houses of Assembly for resolution.

Read: Pres. Jonathan Refuses To Sign Amended Constitution

In February this year, both chambers transmitted the outcome of the state Houses of Assembly to President Jonathan for his assent as required by law.

However, Jonathan in a letter to the Senate President, which was read on the floor of the senate yesterday at plenary, enumerated reasons why he would not assent to the amendments as proposed by the National Assembly.

In the letter, Jonathan objected to section 4 of the alteration act, which seeks to alter section 9 of the constitution, by the insertion of a new section 3A, which dispenses with the assent of the President in the process of constitutional amendment.

He doubted if the amendment satisfied the constitution requirement, which provides that it must be supported by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority of all the members of the National Assembly and approved by a resolution of the House of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states as provided by section 9(3) of the 1999 constitution.

The President stated that going by the information contained in the votes and proceedings of the National Assembly, it is doubtful if the constitutional requirement was met by the lawmakers and therefore, it will be unconstitutional for him to assent to the bill.

The President also raised concerns over the insertion of sections 45A-45B, which guarantees right to free basic education and unqualified right to free primary and maternal care services.

According to the President, the alteration as contained is open ended and should have been restricted to government schools only in the case of right to free basic education.

Culled from  www.theparadigmng.com