Atiku at Risk as Reps Raise Candidates’ Minimum Education Qualification

The House of Representatives has passed a bill prohibiting people without university degrees from running for president on second reading.

A candidate must have a university degree to run for federal and state legislature and governorship seats.

Oriyomi Onanuga introduced the bill, which seeks to amend sections 66, 106, 131, and 171 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

If the proposed bill is passed, lawmakers, governors, and presidents will be required to have a Bachelor’s degree, a Higher National Diploma, a Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), or other degree equivalent certificates.

Several politicians in Nigeria run for office using secondary school or primary school diplomas.

Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the last general election, presented a Diploma Certificate as his highest qualification. Mr. Abubakar is rumored to be considering a presidential run in 2023.

Mr. Atiku was not the only one who did not have a university degree or equivalent. Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate, also presented a WAEC Senior Secondary School Certificate as his highest qualification.

The House debated the general principle of the bill on Tuesday and passed it for second reading. The bill was then sent to the Committee on Constitutional Amendment.