A constitutional amendment proposal seeking a minimum age requirement of 35 years for future presidential aspirants has been submitted before the House of Representatives for consideration and adoption.

The proposal is part of a report of the fourth alteration of the 1999 Constitution la!d before the House by the Lasun Yusuf- headed Constitution Review Committee on Thursday, last week.

The report is scheduled to be considered and adopted through electronic voting on Tuesday and Wednesday next week after which the House will proceed on its annual recess.

The age qualification provision comes under a bill entitled

“An Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 to reduce the age for qualification for the offices of the President and Governor and membership of the Senate, House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly, and for other related matters.”

It is the product of a coalition of 53 Civil Society Groups which presented it to the House as the “Not too young to run bill.”

The current minimum age required to run for presidential office in Nigeria is 40. The report also pushes for Nigerians from the age of 25 years to be allowed to seek election into the state assemblies and the House of Representatives, down from the current 30 years.


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