17th February, 2022
Obinna Nwosu has been informed he is not eligible to contest for the 2023 Abia governorship election because he is 32 years old.
The 32-year-old Certified National Accountant had declared his intention to run under the platform of the African Democratic Congress but the Nigerian constitution states that the age requirement for governorship is 35.
The age requirement was also retained in the Not Too Young To Run bill passed into law in 2018.
Nwosu, however, announced on Thursday, that he will be stepping down from the governorship race.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to the fact that due to the alteration of the Not Too Young To Run bill, I am no longer eligible to run for governor at the age of 32.
“Remember that the bill’s goal was to lower the age requirement for all office-seekers(Presidency from 40 to 35, Governorship and Senate from 35 to 30, House of Representatives, and House of Senate from 30 to 25).
“Millon of Nigerians particularly young people rejoiced when President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill into law. However, the governorship age requirement was questionably altered and retained at 35.
“As a law-abiding citizen, I have no intention to falsify my age to fit the profile. As a result, we are consulting and planning a press conference on the next course of action. We will make every effort to rectify this error. Thanks.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the “Not Too Young To Run” bill into law in 2018.
However, the then Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, 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.
Mr Ekweremadu, who was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, said the National Assembly reasoned that going by the provisions of Section 146 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the president of the Senate could hold the office of the President for a period not exceeding three months should the offices of the President and Vice President be vacant at the same time for any reason.
Ekweremadu explained that Section 146 (1) provides that the Vice-President shall hold the office of President if the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or the removal of the President from office for any other reason in accordance with section 143 of the Constitution.
“However, Section 146 (2) further provides that where any vacancy occurs in the circumstances mentioned in Sub-section 1 during a period when the office of Vice-President is also vacant, the President of the Senate shall hold the office of President for a period of not more than three months, during which there shall be an election of a new President, who shall hold office for the unexpired term of office of the last holder of the office’.
“So, since the President of the Senate, a Senator, could become an Acting President by happenstance, it is only right that the qualification for both offices are the same,” he said.
Speaking on the retention of age qualification for the office of the governor, he said the majority opinion was that 35 years should be ideal for now to enable the would-be governors to acquire the requisite experience to pilot the affairs of a State.
“However, the Not-Too-Young-To-Run amendment is just one giant step forward. It is not the end of the road, but just the beginning of the road. It is not an end in itself, but a means to an end.
“I believe that anyone, who is 18 years old and qualified to vote should also be qualified to stand for an election. This is our ultimate target and I believe we will get there. So, it is a work in progress because constitution amendment is a continuum,” Ekweremadu had said.