Reps Reject Bill Requiring Presidential Candidates to Have Degree Certificates
The House of Representatives has dropped a bill seeking to mandate candidates vying for President, Governor, or National Assembly in Nigeria to have a minimum certificate of a university degree or its equivalent.
The bill, introduced by Adewunmi Onanuga, a House of Rep member under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), seeks to amend sections 65, 106, 131, and 171 of the 1999 Constitution.
However, the bill was vehemently rejected by members of the lower house, and Onanuga stepped down the bill during the plenary session on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
In Nigeria, a candidate is eligible to contest for the office of the president if he or she “has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”
According to section 318, a school certificate or its equivalent includes:
(a) a Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, or Grade II Teacher’s Certificate, the City and Guilds Certificate; or
(b) education up to Secondary School Certificate level; or
(c) Primary Six School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent.
Hence, with a Primary Six School Leaving Certificate, even without passing the exams, a candidate is eligible to contest as president of Africa’s most populous nation with the largest economy.
The bill, which was debated for two hours, received divided opinions.
Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, a representative from Rivers State, who spoke in favour of the bill, said the constitution needs to be amended to reflect current realities in the country.
“What we are discussing is whether elected officials should have wisdom and knowledge. Are you telling me that a school certificate holder in 1960 is the same thing as today? In the past, primary school students were drafted to be teachers. Can a primary school holder get a job in private establishments? We must say that education is important. We should do the proper thing,” he said.
However, Aliyu Madaki from Kano State, while noting that the proposed bill if passed will not affect him or his children, spoke against the bill, as it is against the interest of the majority of the public.
“Your leadership quality is not determined by education. I have three grown-up children; they are all in universities. What we are trying to do is about all Nigerians. The level of education is not in the constitutions of some states. In the case of INEC, what we saw the professors do is terrible,” Madaki said.
He added; “As a person, I hold an MBA, but it is not about the individual. It is about the collective. I believe we should allow that section of the constitution to stay.
