Bill reviewing minimum educational qualification for President, lawmakers passes first reading in House of Reps

A proposed bill in the House of Representatives for upward review of the educational qualification for persons contesting election into the office of the president, governors, lawmakers, on Tuesday passed first reading.

The lawmakers cited Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the 1999 constitution, which state that a person must be qualified for election into the aforementioned elective offices if he/she “has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent”.

The minimum educational qualification bill, sponsored by Adewunmi Onanuga, a legislator from Ogun State, proposes a review of the qualification to at least a “university degree level or its equivalent”.

At the first reading, a bill is mentioned to the House, no debate takes places as the bill is assigned to the relevant committee.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon.  Femi Gbajabiamila, had penultimate week raised the issue for the minimum qualification of Nigerian leader, advocating the amendment of the constitution for higher educational qualification.

Gbajabiamila had declared: “I also sincerely believe that the National Assembly needs to look into section 131 (d) of the 1999 constitution with a view to increasing the minimum educational qualification for persons aspiring to be future presidents of Nigeria and other top offices including the national assembly as against the current minimum requirement of a secondary school certificate or its equivalent.

“As we have reduced the age for eligibility to contest those offices, so also, we should increase the minimum educational requirement. It will be another step in reforming our electoral system and providing strong leadership for the country.”

It was cited that Section 9 (2) of the constitution stipulates that “an Act of the National Assembly for the alteration of this Constitution, not being an Act to which section 8 of this Constitution applies, shall not be passed in either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of that House and approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the States”.

The bill will apparently require the alteration of the constitution.