Abuja, Nigeria
A bill at the Nigerian House of Representatives seeking to stop persons above 60 years from contesting for elections to the Offices of the President and Governor has passed a second reading.
The bill if passed by the National Assembly and is assent to by the President, Bola Tinubu, the current president, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, will not be qualified to run for office in the 2027 presidential contest.
The bill was sponsored by Imo lawmaker, Ikenga Ugochinyere and 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”.
According to the bill, “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.
