The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday passed into law a bill which prevents those who had been sworn in as governor and president twice to seek election for the same position.
Former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, who was first sworn in January 12, 2016 when his boss, then Governor Rashidi Ladoja was illegally impeached is affected with the new Constitution review.
Alao-Akala later contested and won the 2007 governorship election, making it the second time the Ogbomoso-born politician to be sworn in.
The new law also affects former President Goodluck Jonathan who has been sworn in twice, in 2005 when then President Umar Musa Yar’Adua died and in 2007 when he was elected.
As the 2019 governorship election beckons, it is not certain if Alao-Akala will join the Oyo gubernatorial race but this law may hinders him and others from contesting for the No.1 position in the state.
In the amended constitution, the national assembly also reduced the age for qualification for the offices of the president and governor from 40 to 35, and membership of the senate, house of representatives and the state house of assembly from 30 to 25 and provided for independent candidature in elections among other amendments.
This development is coming as a result of the various Constitution amendments that have been passed by at least 24 state houses of assembly and two-thirds of the national assembly.
The committee, which was led by Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, worked on amending some sections of the 1999 constitution.
In January 2016, Senate President Bukola Saraki had inaugurated the committee with a resolve to address some “knotty aspects of the constitution”.
The committee, which comprised members of the senate and the house of representatives, concluded its work weeks ago, and subsequently turned in its report.
The joint session of the national assembly expected to consider the report and onward transmitted to the Presidency for approval.
