Senate removes CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar from office

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Nigerian Senate has removed the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar from office.
The removal followed the two-thirds majority of Senators required to validate the resolution of the legislative Chamber.
The Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele had sponsored a motion seeking the “invocation of the provision of Section 157(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended for the removal of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.”
Bamidele adduced reasons for his removal saying: “Senate has been inundated with serious of petitions and allegations of corruption/misconduct against the Chairman, a situation that necessitated the 9th Senate, through the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions to invite him to serious of investigative hearings.”
The motion also alleged Umar’s absenteeism from office for more than one month without permission and without recusing his position.
The lawmaker said those were the disturbing issues alongside others that precipitated President Bola Tinubu to have forwarded the name of Mr Abdullahi Usman Bello as his replacement.
After the presentation, and debate by some Senators, Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio put the motion to vote and 74 Senators voted for the removal of Danladi Umar, while 10 kicked against it.
It was ruled that the Chairman should be removed while Akpabio told the Clerk to the Senate to communicate the resolution to the presidency in accordance with the law.