The
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has explained that the 35 years age
qualification for the Senate and governorship was retained to correct the
initial disparity in the 1999 Constitution between the age requirement for the
Senate and the Presidency.
Qualifying age for the Presidency, which used
to be 40 years, has now been reduced to 35. President Muhammadu Buhari signed a
bill making this law on Thursday.
The new law is aimed at relaxing some of the
stringent and discriminatory provisions of the constitution.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly
last year to alter Sections 65, 106, 131, 177 of the constitution, and it
sought to reduce the age qualification for president from 40 to 30; governor
from 35 to 30; senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from
30 to 25 and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25.
However, in the assented bill, the age
qualification for governor and senate was retained at 35 years contrary to the
demands of the movement.
Mr Buhari said in the bill presented to him for
assent, there was no reduction in the age requirement for the office of
senators and governors, indicating that age would still be left at 35. He said
he hoped it will be looked after eventually.
Mr Ekweremadu’s statement was in response to
the demands of the Not Too Young To Run Movement.
Earlier Friday, the group called on members of
the National Assembly to review its vote on the age qualification for the
senate and governorhip.
This was top of the demands made by the
movement on Friday at a press conference in Abuja.
The head of the group, Samson Itodo, said the
review should be in tandem with its initial proposal which put the age qualification
for governor and senate at 30 years.
The movement described the retention of the 35 years for both
offices as “unfortunate and disappointing” as it urged the National Assembly to
revisit its vote.
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