House of Reps Moves to Restrict Over-60s from Contesting Presidency, Governorship

On Thursday, a law that would prohibit Nigerians over 60 from running for president or governor was approved by the House of Representatives on second reading.
The bill, which is being sponsored by Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, suggests amending the 1999 Constitution to update the requirements for these important political posts.
According to the measure, candidates for president and governor cannot be older than 60 when they first run for office.

The measure requires applicants to have at least a Bachelor’s degree in their field of study in addition to the minimum age requirement.

Section 131 of the Constitution, which regulates presidential eligibility, and Section 177, which addresses the requirements for gubernatorial candidates, are the precise provisions that the revisions aim to amend.

In addition to the age limit bill, the House cleared a number of other important bills for second reading. These bills consist of:

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Representative Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere are the sponsors of the Alvan Ikoku Federal institution of Education Bill, which aims to raise regional educational standards by converting Imo State’s Alvan Ikoku College of Education into a federal institution.

Proposal to Establish Ideato West Local Government Area: This bill suggests establishing a second local government unit in Imo State in order to improve administrative effectiveness and encourage growth.

Bill to Ensure Youth and Disabled Persons Must Be Included in Political Appointments: This bill, which is also sponsored by Representative Ugochinyere, intends to advance inclusivity in government by guaranteeing reserved seats for youth and individuals with disabilities in political appointments.

Trade and Commerce Bill to Be Added to the Concurrent Legislative List: In order to promote increased economic activity and collaboration across the country, this bill, which is supported by Representative Ugochinyere, aims to provide the federal and state governments the power to control trade and commerce.

The bill would reserve seats for women in both the national and state assemblies. In order to further gender equality in governance, this bill, which is sponsored by Representative Kafilat Ogbara, suggests allocating seats for women in the National Assembly and state legislatures.

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There were also two significant judicial reform measures introduced:

Bill Timelines for Justice Administration (Rep. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, sponsor): aims to shorten legal system delays and speed up court proceedings.

The Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Justices Increase Bill, which is sponsored by Representative Bello Kaoje, suggests expanding the number of justices in these courts in order to boost the effectiveness of the legal system.

New State Creation: The House also deliberated on legislation that would establish new states, such as the Gobir State in the Northwest and the Wan State in the North Central region.