Senate wants HND as minimum qualification for president

The Senate yesterday passed for second reading a bill which proposes Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate as a minimum qualification for presidential aspirants. The bill, sponsored by Senator Istifanus Gyang (Plateau North), also proposes National Diploma (ND) certificate as the qualification for anyone seeking to be elected as governor and National Assembly members. The bill […]

The Senate yesterday passed for second reading a bill which proposes Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate as a minimum qualification for presidential aspirants.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Istifanus Gyang (Plateau North), also proposes National Diploma (ND) certificate as the qualification for anyone seeking to be elected as governor and National Assembly members.

The bill was titled: “A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the amendment of Sections 65 (2) (a), 131 (d), Section 106 (c) and Section 177 (d) therein, to provide for minimum qualification for election into the National and States Assembly, Office of the President and Governors, and other related matters, 2020”.

The proposed legislation seeks to alter Section 131 (d), which specifies minimum requirements for election into the office of the president.

Section 131 (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states that the person seeking the office of the President must have been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.

The bill said: “Section 131(d) is now rephrased to read: ‘He has been educated up to at least HND level or its equivalent.”

The bill also seeks to alter Section 65 (2) (a) of the Constitution which addresses the minimum qualification for anyone aspiring to be elected as National Assembly member.

The section reads: “A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

The bill seeks to amend the section thus: “if he has been educated to at least National Diploma level or its equivalent.”

For States Assembly, the bill seeks to alter Section 106 (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states that an aspirant must have “been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

It proposes to rephrase the section thus: “If he has been educated up to National Diploma level or its equivalent.”

For governors, the piece of legislation seeks to alter Section 177 (d) of the constitution, which provides that any person seeking the office of governor must have “been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

However, the bill seeks that Section 177 (d) be rephrased to read: “If he has been educated up to at least Higher National Diploma level or its equivalent.”