Minimum Qualification for President And Governors: Senate Approves HND

Deliberation on the minimum qualification for political posts continues on Tuesday as the senate-house passed the second reading of the constitutional amendment bill which approves Higher National Diploma (HND) or its equivalent as the basic educational qualification for people who are seeking to contest the office of governors or national presidents.

This bill was sponsored by a member of (PDP) peoples democratic party Plateau state, sen. Istifanus Gyang. He prescribes ND or its equivalent as a minimum academic qualification for the federal and state Legislator’s, Reports PUNCH news

The bill is seeking to change the laws of the federal republic of Nigeria by making provision for amendment of Section 65(2)-(a) and 131(d). The bill will also amend its section 106 (c) and also section 117-(d) on the minimum education qualification for all those seeking electoral position for state assembly, national assembly, Governors, and the President.

The bill will change section 65(2)(a) of Nigeria constitution which talks about the minimum qualification for those looking to be members of the assembly.

The present law which this bill is seeking to amend goes thus;

Persons or individuals will be eligible to be elected under subsection(1) of this section if he or she is educated with minimum qualification of school leaving certificate or its equivalent.

Now section 65(2)(a) has been phrased thus: if he or she is educated to at least the national Diploma level or equivalent of it.

This bill also Seeks to address or alter section 131(d) which talks about minimum qualification for anyone running for governorship.

The present section states that the individual must be educated to at least the School Certificate level or equivalent of it.

That section(131) is now rephrased thus: he or she must at least attained the HND level or the equivalent of it.

Section(106)(c) is now phrased thus: if the person has been educated to the national diploma level or the equivalent of it.

The bill also seeks to alter section(177)(d) of our law for the governors.

So, as it is presently, this section is clear that the individual must have been educated up to school certificate at least or the equivalent of it.

Though section(177)(d) has now been rephrased to read, he or she must be educated up to at least the level of National diploma or the equivalent of it.

The senate president Lawal Ahmed, handed the bill to the committee on constitution review after the senate-house passed the amendments as proposed for the second reading.