By Olusegun Olanrewaju
In a bid to raise the bar, the House of Representatives says it is making progress in its quest to increase the minimum qualification for individuals contesting for the presidential position.
The federal lawmakers have now passed for second reading, a bill to bar people without university degrees from contesting the highest public office in the country.
Should this go-ahead become law, some notable politicians like a former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, who is a presidential aspirant, and others, will be affected.
Under the new dispensation envisaged by the federal lawmakers, candidates for federal, state legislature, and governorship seats, will need a minimum of a university degree to qualify.
The bill, sponsored by Oriyomi Onanuga, seeks to amend sections 66, 106, 131, and 171 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The proposed bill, if passed, means that lawmakers, governors, and presidents must have a minimum qualification of a Bachelor’s degree, a Higher National Diploma (HND), Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), and other degree equivalent certificates.
Several politicians in Nigeria use secondary or primary school certificates to run for office.
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Atiku, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general election, presented a diploma as his highest qualification.
In the last race, it was not only Atiku who presented less than a university degree or equivalent to run.
The candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, also presented a Senior Secondary School Certificate, WAEC, as his highest qualification.
However, yesterday, the House debated the general principle of the bill and passed it for second reading.
The bill was subsequently transmitted to the Committee on Constitution Amendment, and if passed, politicians without qualifications up to degree level will be ruled out.
