A BILL seeking to increase the minimum educational qualification for the office of Nigeria’s president and other elective positions has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill, sponsored by Adewunmi Onanuga, seeks to amend Sections 65, 106, 131 and 171 of the 1999 Constitution and raise the qualification from school certificate to degree or its equivalent.
The lawmaker said the school leaving certificate was insufficient to qualify anybody to rule the country.
The lawmaker argued that to qualify for employment in the senior cadres of the Nigerian civil service, an applicant must be a holder of the National Youth Service Corpsv(NYSC) certificate.
She noted that the applicant must already be a graduate as only graduates are deployed for the NYSC scheme.
Adenuga observed that it was strange that a person seeking to lead the whole country, including the graduates, was required to possess only a senior secondary school certificate or its equivalent.
The development is coming weeks after the Speaker of the House Femi Gbajabiamila called for the review of the law which pegs the minimum educational qualification for aspirants to the presidency and other elective positions at senior secondary school certificate or its equivalent.
Nigerians have consistently asked that the constitution be amended so that those aspiring to govern the country at state and the federal levels should possess a minimum of university degree or its equivalent.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s academic qualification was a subject of controversy in the 2015 and 2019 general elections.
His inability to present, in particular, his West African Secondary School Certificate left him open to criticisms from opposition politicians who accused him of not possessing the certificate in the first place.
In a response to the criticisms, Buhari said copies of his academic records were with the military.
The military confirmed the claim.
Buhari also said original copies of his credentials were lost when his house was raided while he was in detention during the administration of Ibrahim Babangida, who toppled his regime.
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) issued an ‘attestation certificate’ to Buhari to confirm that he indeed obtained a secondary school certificate from the examination body in 1961.
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