Bill seeking to raise educational qualification for election into office of the President passes second reading

A bill seeking to raise the educational qualification for election into the office of the president has passed the second reading at the house of representatives.

The constitution amendment bill, which passed first reading last Tuesday, also seeks to raise the minimum academic qualification for election as a governor, state and federal legislator.

Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the 1999 constitution 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”.

But the new bill which is sponsored by Adewunmi Onanuga, a lawmaker from Ogun state, seeks to raise the qualification to at least a “university degree level or its equivalent”.