Reps ‘remove’ Umar as CCT chairman without two-thirds majority

The house of representatives has removed Danladi Umar as chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

During Tuesday’s plenary, the house invoked paragraph 17 (3), part 1, fifth schedule of the 1999 constitution as amended, and section 22(3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 LFN 2004.

The above section of the constitution stipulates that: “A person holding the office of Chairman or member of the Code of Conduct Tribunal shall not be removed from his office or appointment by the President except upon an address supported by two-thirds majority of each House of the National Assembly praying that he be so removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office in question (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body) or for misconduct or for contravention of this Code”.

The house of representatives consists of 360 members. Two-thirds of this number is 240.

When TheCable counted, fewer than 150 lawmakers were present in the chamber when the motion was moved for Umar’s removal.

THE MOTION

Moving the motion, Julius Ihonvbere, majority leader of the house, said Umar has “fallen short of the requisite standard of a public officer to conduct the affairs of such a tribunal”.

He said Umar “recently engaged in a public brawl with a security guard at the Banex Plaza Shopping Complex, which necessitated an invitation from the senate committee on ethics, code of conduct, and public petitions, and after his first appearance, where he admitted to having been involved in the brawl, he refused to attend subsequent sittings, thereby frustrating the efforts of the committee to investigate the allegations against him”.

The majority leader said invoking paragraph 17 (3), part 1, fifth schedule of the 1999 constitution as amended is the “only way out to safeguard the sacred image of the Code of Conduct Tribunal”.

Mansur Soro from Bauchi state raised a point of order, saying the President Bola Tinubu should have initiated the process of Umar’s removal before the house invoked its constitutional powers.

Responding, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, said the house is in receipt of a communication from the president.

Consequently, the lawmakers unanimously adopted the motion when it was put to a voice vote by Abbas.

The senate has also passed a similar motion removing Umar.

In July, Tinubu appointed Mainasra Kogo as the new CCT chairman to take over from Umar who was appointed in 2011. Kogo has not assumed office yet.

Umar, who assaulted a security guard in Abuja in 2021, is also facing corruption allegations.