Senate approves legislative immunity for lawmakers

- The Nigerian Senate approves legislative immunity for members as practiced in some counties - Senate clarifies that the legislative immunity only extends to words spoken at plenary sessions and in committee proceedings The Nigerian Senate has voted to grant legislative immunity to members of the upper chamber. This was part of 33 major amendments to the Nigerian constitution approved by the Senate during plenary on Wednesday July 26.

The upper chamber however clarified that the legislative immunity only extends to words spoken at plenary sessions and in committee proceedings as practiced in some countries. Legislative immunity, also known as parliamentary immunity, absolves legislators from persecution for actions performed and decisions made in the course of carrying out their legislative duties. Parliamentary immunity is not absolute like that in section 308 of the Nigerian constitution which grants presidents, vice presidents, governors and their deputies absolute freedom from prosecution from all forms of criminal acts. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, July 26, passed a bill which proposes 35-years as the minimum age for the office of the president. Nigerian youths can now contest for the post of governor or senators at the age of 30, away from the initial 40 and 35 years limit mandated by the 1999 constitution.