The concept and procedures of impeachment. A comparison between Nigeria and the United States of America

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2019 in the subject Politics - General and Theories of International Politics, grade: 63/100, University of Jos, course: Law, language: English, abstract: The ultimate aim of this paper is to critically analyse comparatively the concept of impeachment and its procedures in Nigeria and the United States of America. The essence of this work can only be achieved through a comparative approach. The aim of the comparison is fully encapsulated in the opinion of some writers. The objectives of this long essay are: To understand the procedure of impeachment and the attitude of the judiciary towards impeachment in Nigeria and in the United States of America. To bring to bear the inadequacies in the procedure of impeachment in both Nigeria and the United States of America. To compare both countries with the aim of improving their individual procedure of impeachment. Proffer solutions to the problems discovered in the course of the research. An executive officer leaves office not only at the expiration of his tenure, or his death, or incapacitation as it is the ideal, but also upon impeachment. Impeachment is another potent and unusual way of removing an executive officer. However, impeachment which is supposed to be an instrument to check the excesses of executive officers in the hands of the legislature has become a tool in the hands of political parties and politicians to remove from office an executive officer who is from another political party or who is not a 'loyalist'. This practice is more peculiar to Nigeria where impeachment has become a tool for settling political scores. This therefore amounts to an abuse of the power of impeachment conferred on the legislature. This underscores the essence of this research because a comparative analysis of the procedure for impeachment in Nigeria and the United States of America will expose the lapses in both legal systems and proffer solutions to such lapses. These lapses are the problem this research work intends to resolve. This research work intends to answer the following questions: What does impeachment entail in Nigeria and the United States of America? Who can be impeached in Nigeria and the United States of America? What is the procedure for impeachment in Nigeria and the United States of America? What are the differences in the procedure for impeachment in Nigeria and the United States of America? How can this procedure be breached? Should there be differences, will that amount to a gap? And which is the standard for impeachment to establish the basis for amending the other?