Headlines
Senate Proposes HND as Minimum Qualification for President, Govs
A bill that proposes Higher National Diploma (HND) as the minimum qualification for citizens seeking to be president or governors, passed second reading on Thursday.
The bill also seeks to make the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) the minimum qualification for contesting for state and federal legislative seats.
The bill, sponsored by Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau), is one of the ten constitutional amendment bills read for the second time Thursday. The bills were referred to the Senate committee on constitution review for further legislative work.
The bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide for the amendment of Sections 65 (2) (a), 131 (d), Section 106 (c) and Section 177 (d) on minimum educational qualification for those seeking election as state or federal lawmakers, as well as governors, president and their deputies.
In the proposed amendments, those seeking to be president, governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and members of State Houses of Assembly, must possess new minimum educational qualifications.
“The Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (in this Bill referred to as “the Principal Act”) is altered as set out in the Bill,” part of the proposed amendments reads.
The bill is seeking the alteration of section 65 (2) (a) of the Constitution which deals with the qualifications for intending members of the National Assembly.
The existing law which the bill seeks to amend reads: “A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.
Section 65 (2) (a) is now rephrased to read “if he has been educated to at least National Diploma level or its equivalent.”
The bill also seeks to alter Section 131(d) which states that a presidential candidate and the deputy must have “been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”
The amendment is now rephrased to read: “He has been educated up to at least HND level or’ its equivalent.”
For House of Assembly, the bill seeks the alteration of section 106 (c) of the Constitution.
According to the existing law, anyone aspiring to be a member of the House of Assembly must have “been educated up to at least the School Certificate level or its equivalent.”
It is, however, now rephrased to read: “If he has been educated up to National Diploma level or its equivalent.”
For governorship candidates, the bill seeks the alteration of section 177 (d) of the Constitution which currently states that the person must have “been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”
It is now rephrased to read: “If he has been educated up to at least Higher National Diploma Level or its equivalent.”
More amendment bills
Other constitutional amendment bills referred to the committee are;
*A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to specify the period within which the President or Governor of a State presents the Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly of House of Assembly.
It is sponsored by Bamidele Opeyemi.
*A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the establishment of State Police and to ensure effective community policing in Nigeria.
It is sponsored by Ajibola Bashiru.
* A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to amend Section 138(d) and Section 139 of the Electoral Act 2010 by deleting Section 138 (d) and adding a new Subsection (3) to Section 139, to reduce the unlawful exclusion of a political party Logo on a Ballot Paper, a pre-election matter.
It is sponsored by Istifanus Gyang.
*A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to replace the name “Nigeria Police Force” with ”Nigerian Police” to reflect their core mandate of providing Civil Services.
It is sponsored by Opeyemi Bamidele.
* A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to amend Section 81 to make provisions for amount standing to the credit of Security Agencies in the Consolidated Revenue Fund to be on First Line Charge.
It is sponsored by Ibrahim Gobir.
* A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to preclude the establishment of separate Tribunals to hear and determine Pre-election matters and Election petitions respectively, in the Presidential, National and state Houses of Assembly and Govemorship elections.
It is sponsored by Ovie Omo-Agege.
* A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to give recognition to the Six Geo-political Zones and to further introduce a clear demarcation by creating the Federal and State legislative list as a substitute for the existing legislative lists.
It is ponsored by Adeola Olamilekan.
* A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to qualify criminal liability for certain public officers under Section 308.
It is sponsored by Ovie Omo-Agege.
* A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for establishment of State Police.
It is sponsored by Ike Ekweremadu.
Premium Times
The Super Eagles of Nigeria defeated Egypt 4-2 on penalties to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 third-place playoff on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali proved the hero of the night with two crucial saves during the shootout, including one from Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.
Ademola Lookman then calmly converted the decisive penalty to secure the bronze medal —Nigeria’s ninth third-place finish in AFCON history.
With neither side able to break the deadlock in a cagey second half, the game ended 0-0, sending the contest directly to penalties.
Despite Fisayo Dele-Bashiru missing Nigeria’s first kick, Nwabali’s immediate saved from Egypt’s first two attempts shifted the momentum.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of the son of a former Jigawa State governor, challenging the decision of the trial court, which convicted him for failing to declare $40,000 at Kano airport.
In a unanimous decision, the apex court panel dismissed the appeal of Aminu Sule Lamido, the son of former governor Sule Lamido, for lack of merit.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Aminu on December 11, 2012, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to travel to Cairo, Egypt.
The prosecution said Aminu declared $10,000 to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), but was found with an additional $40,000, which was not disclosed on his currency declaration form.
The EFCC charged him before the Federal High Court in Kano on a one-count offence of false declaration of foreign currency, contrary to provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
On July 12, 2015, the court convicted Aminu and ordered him to forfeit 25 per cent of the undeclared sum to the Federal government.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Aminu approached the Court of Appeal in Kaduna to overturn the conviction and set aside the forfeiture order.
In a judgment delivered on December 7, 2015, however, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered that the trial of former governor Lamido, his two sons, and others, over alleged N1.35billion fraud, should continue before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
A five-member panel of the apex court issued the directive in two unanimous judgments, in the two appeals filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the trial court, which dismissed the no-case submission filed by the Lamidos and held that the defendants had a case to answer.
Both appeals were against the July 25, 2023, judgments of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the no-case submission made by Lamido and others and struck out the 37-count charge on which they were being prosecuted, on the grounds that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
In the lead judgments of the Supreme Court, Justice Abubakar Umar set aside the July 25, 2023 judgments of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the earlier decision by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which overruled the no-case submissions by Lamido and others and ordered them to enter their defence.
The EFCC, in the 37-count charge, among others, accused Lamido of abusing his position as a governor between 2007 and 2015, allegedly laundering sums of money received as kickbacks from companies that were awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Government under his leadership.
The other defendants charged alongside Lamido are his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha; Aminu Wada Abubakar and their companies – Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
