Answered!!! Should a person running for the office of president possess a WAEC certificate ???

When Festus Keyamo, the All Progressives Congress(APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2019 Presidential said that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate isn’t required for the post of president, many people disagreed.

Keyamo had said  during a Channels TV programme that in order to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, one doesn’t need to a WAEC certificate.

The SAN made the statement while dismissing claims that the president doesn’t have a WAEC certificate.

So is having a WAEC certificate one of the requirements to become president  in Nigeria?

What the constitution states

The 1999 Constitution in Section 131 deals with the educational qualifications required of a person seeking the higtest office in the land.

“A person shall be qualified for election to the office of President, if:

He is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
He has attained the age of 40 years;
He is a member of a political party
He has been educated up to at least school certificate or its equivalent”

What this section of the constitution refers to a “School Certificate or its equivalent” as:

A Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent or Grade II Teacher’s Certificate, City and Guilds certificate; or
Education up to Secondary School Certificate level; or
Primary Six School Leaving certificate or its equivalent and –
(i) service in the public or private sector in the Federation in any capacity acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for a minimum of ten years and

(ii) attendance at courses and training institutions as may be acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for periods totaling up to a minimum of one year, and

(iii) the ability to read, write, understand and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and

4. any other qualification acceptable by the Independent National Electoral Commission.”

This therefore means that not owning a WAEC certificate, can not hinder a person from running for office of the  president in Nigeria –says the 1999 constitution (as amended).

 

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