Reps Move To Reduce Age Qualification For Senatorial, Governorship Positions

The House of Representatives has passed through second reading, a bill seeking to reduce the age for qualification for membership of the Senate and office of the governor.

Sponsored by Hon. Esin Martin Etim and 24 others, the Constitution Alteration Bill is seeking the reduction of the age qualification for the two offices from 35 to 30 years.

In a lead debate on the general principles of the proposed legislation, the lawmaker argued that the amendment will bridge the wide gap between the 25 years age qualification for membership of the House of Representatives and 35 years for Senate as well as governor.

“This bill is very direct, recall that in the last Assembly, the age requirement to be a member of the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly was pegged at 25 from 30. Today, to be a Senator or to be a governor in this country, you need to attain the minimum age of 35, giving a 10 years gap in between.

“So, Mr Speaker, it further proves that if a member of this House at 25 years spends two terms in the House of Representatives, he will be 33 years and will still not be qualified to go to the Senate or to become a governor.

“So, I think that this honourable House should look into it and maintain the gap between the office of the governor and Senate as it were and that of the House…So this bill is seeking to reduce the age from 35 to 30 for the office of the governor and membership of the Senate,” he argued.