
THE National Assembly may head for constitutional crisis, as the Senate has rejected the move by the House of Representatives to have immunity for legislators included in the constitution.
The lower chamber of the National Assembly had, last week, passed in the second reading a motion seeking immunity for the lawmakers.
However, the Senate, said any motion on immunity for the legislature would not be passed on the floor of the chamber.
It stated that the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act had already given every legislators immunity for whatever he said on the floor of the chamber.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, made the position of the Senate known, while briefing the Senate Press Corps on Tuesday.
“I think the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act already gives every legislator immunity for whatever such says on the floor of the chamber. So, that is already a settled law and fact.
“So, I will be very surprised if somebody is asking for immunity outside of the chambers of the National Assembly.
“Why will anybody ask for such, as we do not want to grant anybody such immunity?
“I do not think that will pass on the floor of the Senate. Whatever you said inside there is already covered under the Privileges Act,” he said.
Acknowledging that the issue had been discussed in the House of Representatives, Abaribe, said such a motion had not been brought to the floor of the Senate yet.
“The matter was discussed in the House, but we do not have that bill yet. I guess when that bill comes to us, we will see the different provisions.
“If we see such a bill, then we consider the merit and whatever anybody will bring to us, saying what we have now is inadequate. That is when we will consider the bill.
“If I remember, I had brought up this matter of privileges; something that happened at the floor of the National Assembly.
“I think I brought it up when they tried to arrest somebody within this place by either the EFCC or so and I think that is a breach of our privileges.
“Anybody who comes here to give evidences is granted immunity to say the truth and that nobody can arrest him.
“The same thing with us who are legislators. No legislator will seek immunity outside the chamber for whatever he does outside of the parliament,” he said.