Nigeria’s House of Representatives advanced a bill on Thursday for second reading that would prevent anyone above 60 from running for governor or president.
The 1999 Constitution should be amended to update the requirements for these important political offices, according to the bill, which is sponsored by Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere.
As to the measure, candidates for the presidency and governorship shall not be older than 60 when they run for office.
Apart from the age limit, the bill also stipulates that applicants must possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in the subject they have chosen.
The modifications specifically target Section 177 of the Constitution, which deals with the eligibility requirements for gubernatorial candidates, and Section 131 of the Constitution, which regulates presidential eligibility.
The House passed the age limit bill together with a number of other important bills for second reading. Some of these bills are:
In an effort to raise educational standards in the area, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Representative Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere are sponsors of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Bill, which would convert Imo State’s Alvan Ikoku College of Education into a federal university.
Bill for Ideato West Local Government Area Creation: Imo State would gain a new local government area as a result of this bill, which would improve administrative effectiveness and encourage growth.
A bill requiring youths and people with disabilities to be included in political appointments This initiative, which is also supported by Representative Ugochinyere, would provide reserved seats for youth and individuals with disabilities in political appointments in an effort to advance inclusivity in governance.
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The bill would add trade and commerce to the list of concurrent legislation. The goal of this measure, which is supported by Representative Ugochinyere, is to provide the federal and state governments the power to control trade and commerce in order to promote increased economic activity and collaboration across the country.
Bill to Reserve Women’s Seats in the National and State Assemblies: In an effort to advance gender equality in governance, this measure, which is sponsored by Representative Kafilat Ogbara, suggests allocating state and national parliamentary seats to women.
Additionally, two significant judicial reform proposals were introduced:
Justice Administration Bill Timelines (Rep. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, sponsor): aims to shorten courtroom wait times and streamline the legal system.
Rep. Bello Kaoje is the sponsor of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Justices Increase Bill, which suggests expanding the number of justices in both courts to increase judicial system efficiency.
Birth of New States: Bills to establish new states, such as the Gobir State in the Northwest and the Wan State in the North Central area, were also addressed in the House.
