A member of the House of Representatives, Adewumi Onanuga, who is representing Ikenne/Salami/Remo North Federal Constituency, Ogun State, has dropped the bill seeking to make a varsity degree the minimum qualification required for vying for the office of the president and that of state governors in Nigeria, News About Nigeria reports.
The bill, which was proposed by Onanuga, was aimed at pegging the minimum qualification for elections into the governorship, presidential, and other key elective offices in the country to varsity degree certificates, as against the current provision, which allows for a first school leaving certificate.
The bill, which was stepped down by the House of Representatives, had earlier enjoyed the support of the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, Babajimi Benson, Kingsley Chinda, and some other lawmakers.
However, other lawmakers, like Aliyu Madaki, a lawmaker from Kano State, and Ahmadu Jaha (APC, Borno), had kicked against the proposed bill by Onanuga.
While leading the debate at the plenary session, Onanuga called for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to change the educational qualifications for elections into certain political offices.
The change, according to her, is to ensure that those handed the power to lead in the capacity of the president, who happens to be the highest office in the land, are qualified to do so.
The change from a minimum First School Leaving Certificate, which is currently what is required to be president or governor in Nigeria, to a varsity degree certificate or its equivalent, according to Onanuga, would go a long way in also showing the younger generation the importance of education.
