The House of Representatives‘ proposal to set an age cap of 60 years for presidential and gubernatorial candidates has sparked strong opposition from political parties and stakeholders across the country. The bill, which passed a second reading on Thursday, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution by setting new educational and age requirements for candidates seeking executive offices.
Sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, the bill states that a person contesting for the presidency or governorship must possess at least a university degree and must not be older than 60 at the time of the election. If enacted, the proposed law will automatically disqualify notable figures such as President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi from the 2027 election.
The Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, have condemned the bill, describing it as an unnecessary distraction from pressing national issues. The PDP particularly criticized lawmakers for what it described as a failure to address Nigeria’s governance challenges, including corruption, economic hardship, and insecurity. The party argued that leadership failure stems from incompetence and lack of patriotism rather than age.
PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, expressed strong disapproval of the proposed law, stating that the legislators are neglecting critical governance issues in favor of trivial matters. He argued that Nigeria’s leadership problems have never been linked to age but rather to corruption and inefficiency. He cited examples of older world leaders who have effectively governed their nations, including past and present leaders in the United States, India, and Singapore.
Osadolor maintained that age should not be a determining factor in leadership selection, insisting that wisdom and experience often come with age. He urged lawmakers to prioritize issues such as economic development, national security, and infrastructure instead of imposing an arbitrary age restriction that does not guarantee better governance.
The CUPP also rejected the bill, asserting that leadership quality is determined by competence, integrity, and patriotism rather than age. CUPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mark Adebayo, dismissed the argument that younger leaders would necessarily perform better, pointing out that corruption and incompetence exist across all age groups. He stated that Nigeria has had leaders under 50 and even under 40 who failed to deliver good governance.
Adebayo referenced Joe Biden, who became U.S. President in his late seventies, and Singapore’s founding leader, Lee Kuan Yew, who continued to lead effectively well past 60. He argued that governance is about personal values, leadership skills, and experience rather than age, stating that Nigeria’s focus should be on addressing leadership failures rather than imposing age restrictions.
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The SDP took a slightly different stance, acknowledging that youthfulness can bring energy and innovation to leadership. However, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, emphasized that experience and competence remain the most important qualities for effective governance. He pointed out that Nigeria has had both young and older leaders, some of whom performed well while others failed.
Aiyenigba proposed that instead of age limits, Nigeria should introduce a system that evaluates the competence and capacity of presidential candidates. He suggested making live debates mandatory for all presidential aspirants to test their intellectual abilities, vision, and decision-making skills before elections. He argued that such debates would allow Nigerians to judge leadership potential beyond age and academic qualifications.
He further emphasized that governance is not an entry-level position, stating that leadership roles should be occupied by individuals who have been tested and prepared through experience. While acknowledging the need for fresh perspectives in governance, he insisted that Nigeria should not sideline older, experienced individuals who still have much to contribute.
The bill has sparked intense debate within political circles, with many questioning the rationale behind limiting leadership opportunities based on age. Critics argue that such an amendment, if passed into law, could further polarize the political space and limit the choices available to Nigerian voters.
Crediblenewsng.com
