Responding to the demand of the
Not Too Young To Run movement, Ekweremadu said a senator could be a president
by chance.
He cited section 146 of the constitution
to explain why the age qualification for the senate was left untouched.
Ekweremadu said in a statement on
Friday: “Section 146 (1) provides that the vice-president shall hold the office
of the president if the office of the president becomes vacant by reason of
death or resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or removal of the
president from office for any other reason in accordance with section 143 of
the constitution.
“However, section 146 (2) further
provides that where any vacancy occurs in the circumstances mentioned in
sub-section 1 during a period when the office of the vice-president is also
vacant, the president of the senate shall hold the office of the president for
a period of not more than three months, during which there shall be an election
of a new president, who shall hold office for the unexpired term of office of
the last holder of the office.
“So, since the president of the
senate, a senator, could become an acting president by happenstance, it is only
right that the qualification for both offices are the same.”
Furthermore, Ekweremadu said the
age qualification for the office of governor was not reduced from 35 to 30 to
enable the would-be governors acquire the requisite experience to govern a
state.
The bill had sought to reduce the
age qualification for the office of the president from 40 to 35 years; age from
the office of a state governor from 35 to 30; senate from 35 to 30; house of
representative from 30 to 25; and state house of assembly from 30 to 25.
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