By Akanimo Sampson

THERE are growing concerns at the moment within the Legislative arm of the Nigerian government over continued constitutional breaches by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration that came into power in May 2015, promising to depart from such vices.

The House of Representatives is presently not comfortable with some of the alleged constitutional breaches.

Before now, Chief Mike Ahamba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had said that the deployment of troops in ‘peace time’ by President Buhari and former president, Olusegun Obasanjo were in breach of the 1999 Constitution.

Senator Anietie Okon had expressed worries that the basic points that sustain Nigeria as one unified nation are being in danger by Buhari’s approach to ruling, saying even in the attempt to people his administration, what we have had is a clear breach of the Constitution.

“The very foundations of this country are very clear. The foundations demand a recognition of the differences that have ensured the emergence of a country and it is unacceptable where you fail to recognize the federal character of our make up as a country. This is not only condemnable but poses real danger for the future of this country. In a nutshell, President Buhari is operating in breach of the constitution, he is in breach of the Nigerian Constitution by the way and manner he is approaching governance and that is an impeachable offense.”

Similarly, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law equally denounced President Buhari, alleging 60 constitutional sins and breaches which they divided into Electoral Sins & Breaches, Political Sins & Breaches, Judicial Sins & Interferences, Economic Policy Sins & Blunders and Security & Safety Policy Sins & Blunders.

According to the group, these sins and breaches are all contrary to or in gross breaches of the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and its subsidiary laws of the federation including relevant international rights treaties entered into by Nigeria through the instruments of ratification or domestication.

They referred to them as constitutional sins because they violate the spirit of the Constitution and constitutional breaches because they violate the letters of the Constitution.

For the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, while the legislative arm of government recognise the need to tackle the problem of corruption with renewed vigour in our society, as we fully subscribe to the dictates of the Constitution which enjoins the State to ‘abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power’ Section 15(5), ‘’we must, however, be conscious of doing things and implementing our laws in such ways and manner that will portray us as a democratic society conscious of the Rule of Law and Fundamental human rights... Continue reading:
https://atlanticpostng.com/nigeria-fresh-concerns-in-parliament-over-constitutional-breaches-by-buhari/