STATE GOVERNMENT (BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL AND TRANSITION PROVISIONS) ACT

Section 45: Removal of Governor or Deputy Governor from office.

1991Section 45 of 144Federal Republic of Nigeria

(1) The Governor or Deputy Governor of a State may be removed from office in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(2) Whenever a notice of any allegation in writing signed by not less than one-third of the members of the House of Assembly of a State-
(a) presented to the Speaker of the House of Assembly of the State ;
(b) stating that the holder of an office is guilty of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office, detailed particulars of which shall be specified, the Speaker of the House of Assembly shall within 7 days of the receipt of the notice cause a copy thereof to be served on the holder of the office and on each member of the House of Assembly and shall also cause any statement made in reply to the allegation by the holder of the office to be served on each member of the House of Assembly.
(3) Within 14 days of the presentation of the notice to the Speaker of the House of Assembly (whether or not any statement was made by the holder of the office in reply to the allegation contained in the notice) the House of Assembly shall resolve by motion, without any debate whether or not the allegation shall be investigated.
(4) A motion of the House of Assembly that the allegation be investigated shall not be declared as having been passed unless it is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of the House of Assembly.
(5) Within 7 days of the passing of a motion under the foregoing provisions, the Chief Judge of the State at the request of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, shall appoint a Panel of 7 persons who in his opinion are of unquestionable integrity not being members of any public service, legislatives house or political party, to investigate the allegation as provided in this section.
(6) The holder of an office whose conduct is being investigated under this section shall have the right to defend himself in person and be represented before the Panel by a legal practitioner of his own choice.
(7) A Panel appointed under this section shall-
(a) have such powers and exercise its function in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly ; and
(b) within 3 months of its appointment, report its findings to the House of Assembly.
(8) Where the Panel reports to the House of Assembly the the allegation has not been proved, no further proceedings shall be taken in respect of the matter.
(9)
Where the report of the Panel is that the allegation against the holder of the office has been proved, then within 14 days of the receipt of the report, the House of Assembly shall consider the report, and if by a resolution of the House of Assembly supported by not less than two-thirds majority of all its members, the report of the Panel is adopted, then the holder of the office shall stand removed from office as from the date of the adoption of the report.
(10) No proceedings or determination of the Panel or of the House of Assembly or any matter relating thereto shall be entertained or questioned in any court.
(11) In this section, "gross misconduct" means a grave violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended or a misconduct of such nature as amounts in the declared opinion of a two-third majority of the House of Assembly to gross misconduct.

Cite this section

Section 45, STATE GOVERNMENT (BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL AND TRANSITION PROVISIONS) ACT (1991).

https://repo.podus.ai/laws/state-government-basic-constitutional-and-transition-provisions-act/section/45/