The House of Representatives Thursday dramatically rescinded its second reading of a bill seeking the removal of immunity for the vice- president, governors, and their deputies.
The lower chamber is, however, proposing 60 years as the age-ceiling for those vying for presidential and governorship positions in the country.
The House had while passing over 40 constitutional alteration bills Wednesday, approved the bill seeking the removal of constitutional immunity for the named political offices.
At its resumption of plenary Thursday, the House made a U-turn on its decision on the bill and another seeking adjustment to capital punishment intended to make such an alteration fall in line “with international best practices.”
Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Julius Ihonvere, in a motion on the two bills, said there was a need for “the House to take a second look at those bills and debate on them when we resume,” a motion members unanimously adopted through voice votes.
Meanwhile, the House has approved the second reading of a bill pegging the age limit for aspirants to the positions of president and governors of states in the country at 60 years.
Sponsored by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere as a ‘Bill to Alter Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),’ it said in clause 3(e) that an aspirant to the office of the president shall be qualified if “he is not more than 60 years at the time of vying for the office of the president.”
The same 60-year was also repeated as the age-ceiling for the office of the governor in a subsequent section.
The bill in clause five also proposed an amendment to Section 177 of the constitution to make the least educational qualification of governorship and presidential aspirants a Bachelor’s degree in any chosen field of study.