Nigeria’s main opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP), have condemned a bill proposing an age limit of 60 for presidential and gubernatorial candidates.
The bill, which passed its second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday, aims to amend the Nigerian Constitution to prevent individuals over 60 from running for president and governor. If signed into law, this would effectively bar President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi from contesting in the 2027 presidential election.
The PDP has criticized the move as a “misplaced priority,” arguing that Nigeria’s main governance challenges stem from corruption, incompetence, and lack of patriotism, rather than age. Timothy Osadolor, PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, labeled the lawmakers as “the most irresponsible in Nigeria’s history” for focusing on trivial issues while neglecting more pressing concerns.
The CUPP has also rejected the notion that leadership quality is tied to age, citing examples of effective leaders like former US President Joe Biden and Singapore’s founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, who achieved success despite being over 60.
In contrast, the SDP acknowledged that age can play a role in governance but emphasized that leadership is ultimately a function of experience, values, and competence. Rufus Aiyenigba, SDP’s National Publicity Secretary, proposed mandatory live debates for presidential candidates to assess their intellectual and emotional capacities.
