The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill seeking to stop anyone above 60 years from vying for election to the Offices of the President and Governor in Nigeria.
If this bill scales legislative scrutiny and is signed into law, President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, will miss out on the 2027 presidential contest as they are all above 60 years of age.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to review the requirements that qualify a person to be elected as President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governors and Deputy Governor of a State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and for Related Matters” was sponsored by Imo lawmaker, Ikenga Ugochinyere.
The bill was one of the 31 proposed legislations which scaled second reading during Thursday’s plenary session.
The bill provides that “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if he has been educated up to at least university level and has earned a Bachelor’s degree in his chosen field of study.
“Section 131 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting a paragraph which reads, “That he is not more than 60 years at the time of vying for the Office of President.
“Section 177(d) of the principal Act is amended by altering the educational requirement that qualifies persons to be elected as governor as follows:
“A person shall be qualified for election to the Office of the President if he has been educated up to at least university level and has earned a Bachelor’s degree in his chosen field of study.
“That he is not more than 60 years old at the time of vying for the office of Governor.”
Punch
