By Prof. R.A.C.E. Achara PhD
On an address supported by 2/3rds majority of the Senate means that the President (or, for state officers at the state’s legislature, the Governor) initiates the process for removal through an address s/he presents to the given legislative body.
The relevant legislature then votes to accept or reject the removal from office which the chief executive has recommended in the said address.
Removal is constitutional and automatic only when the aye votes preponderate against the nay votes by a margin of two-thirds or more to one-third or less.
Unfortunately, as has become the confusion plaguing our judicial interpretations of the Constitution in the past quarter century or so, this has been turned on its head. And the legislature is made to, as it were, domicile the innately executive powers of dismissal. 🤷🏽‍♂
Removal of a chief executive by impeachment is ontologically similar but different.👇🏾
Process is central to maintenance of the safeguards of constitutional governance.
The character presently in focus deserves any opprobrium coming his way but we all suffer when procedural guardrails to encumber the hands of otherwise uncontrolled power are bit by bit eaten away by the current holders of our collective sovereign power.
By all means, sack the disreputable fellow; but, in order to do so, pay respect to the process by not following that fellow’s own example of not respecting the process!
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