Election:Rep. seeks additional academic qualification for presidential candidates
Abuja

A member of the House of Representatives from Benue state, Benjamin Mzondu,has introduced a Bill seeking to raise the academic qualification for election into the office of the president.

The Constitution Alteration Bill on ‘Educational Qualification for Certain Political Offices’ has passed first reading at the plenary.

Mzondu said that the bill sought to provide a post-secondary school qualification for the office of the president and that of governor.

The lawmaker, who represents Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, said the amendment was being made to fill in the gap in the constitution as far as academic qualifications.

Section 131 (chapter VI) of the Constitution states that persons may be qualified for election into the office of the president, if among others things, “they have been educated up to at least school certificate level or its equivalent.”

“The Constitution does not give an explicit qualification for the office of president,” the law maker noted.

“We want to define it properly. If it is secondary, it is; if it is university, it is. It is seeking to fill the gap.