by James Sambo

Several underage politicians from about 13 political parties, have been listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to contest the two arms of the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives, at the general elections on February 14.

The electoral body released on its website, the final list of candidates for the general elections on Tuesday, January 13.

From the list, it was discovered that 22 contestants who are below the stipulated age of 35 years, were cleared for the Senate poll.

Likewise, 25 candidates below 30 years were cleared to contest the House of Representatives election.

Based on the list released by INEC, parties presenting underage candidates are the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Alliance for Democracy, AD, National Conscience Party, NCP, Advance Congress of Democrats, ACD, Mega Progressive Peoples Party, MPPP, New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Labour Party, LP, Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, African Democratic Congress, ADC, Progressives Peoples Party, PPA, United Peoples Party, UPP, Independent Democrats, ID, and Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN.

Meanwhile, Section 65 (1) of the 1999 Constitution states that “Subject to the provisions section 66 of the Constitution, a person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of (a) the Senate if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of thirty-five years of age; and (b) the House of Representatives, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of thirty years.”

Similarly, Section 65 (2) says a person shall be qualified for election under subsection 1 of this section if (a) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent; and (b) he is a member of a political and is sponsored by the party.