Senate votes in favour of bill raising academic qualification for president

The senate has voted in favour of a bill seeking to raise the academic qualification for election into the office of president or governor.

The constitution amendment bill sponsored by Gyang Istifanus, senator representing Plateau north, scaled second reading at Thursday’s plenary session.

The bill is seeking to amend the constitution to make the minimum academic qualification for president a higher national diploma (HND) or its equivalent and that of governor and members of the national assembly a national diploma or its equivalent.

The constitution currently stipulates that an individual is qualified for the above positions if they are educated “up to at least school certificate level or its equivalent”.

The bill also seeks to provide for education up to the national diploma level as the minimum qualification for house of assembly members.

It was subsequently referred to the constitution review committee for further legislative action.

A similar bill was recently introduced at the house of representatives, but affects only the office of the president and governor.

The bill provides that the minimum qualification for the office of president and governor should be a post secondary school education — “at least a diploma” — or ”experience of at least 20 years in the public sector”.