On Thursday, the House of Representatives advanced a bill to its second reading, aiming to disqualify individuals over the age of 60 from running for the offices of President and Governor in Nigeria.
Sponsored by Representative Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, the bill seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to update eligibility criteria for these prominent political roles.
Key provisions of the bill include: Presidential and gubernatorial candidates must be no older than 60 years at the time of their candidacy and must possess at least a Bachelor’s degree in their field of study.
The proposed amendments specifically target Section 131 of the Constitution to establish the age limit for presidential candidates and Section 177 to extend the same requirement to gubernatorial aspirants.