PDP dares Osinbajo to resign over threat to waive immunity

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dared Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to make good his threats to set aside his constitutional immunity by immediately resigning his office to face the corruption allegations, in which he was named, in court.
The PDP maintained that since Vice President Osinbajo has announced his readiness to renounce his constitutional immunity in the face of corruption allegations, he should do the needful by resigning and vacating the office as there is no provision for waiver of immunity in the nation’s constitution.
The party, in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary. Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, held that immunity under section 308 of the 1999 constitution (as amended), is conferred on an official by virtue of his/her election into an office within a duration and cannot be waived by any means other than resignation.
According to the PDP’s statement, “It is instructive to state that Section 308 confers immunity to the holder of the office during his period in office.
“There is no provision for waiver while the holder is still in office.
“Vice President Osinbajo should know that it is settled that section 308 can only be set aside by vacating the office. It is not a jacket to be put on or dropped at will.
“Significantly, our party invites the Vice President to note that his pronouncement has set off a process, which is expected to terminate in his resignation”, it said.
The PDP therefore put the National Assembly on notice to consider the pronouncement by the Vice President as an official communication to the legislature indicating his intention to vacate office.