40-year age criteria for president needless – Alban Bagbin

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Nadowli Kaleo Alban Bagbin has described as needless a provision in the 1992 Constitution, requiring one to be forty years in order to be eligible to run for the office of the president.

According to chapter 8, article 62 of the 1992 Constitution, a person shall not be qualified for election as the president of Ghana unless: (a) he/she is a citizen of Ghana by birth, (b) he/she has attained the age of forty years; and among other requirements.

Speaking as a guest at an inter-tertiary debate competition at the University of Cape Coast as part of the 55th SRC celebration, Bagbin argued that age should not be a barrier to one’s ambition of attaining the high office of president.

“The issue of age as a criteria for qualification or eligibility to the office of the president is a key matter we have to look at,” he stated.

“I believe that there is no need to put an age [limit]. I think it is important for us to allow the people to choose.

“Yes, the people will be in the position to determine whether the person is capable, whether the person is matured, and whether the person has the requisite experience,” he added.