Court says graduates who skip NYSC scheme can contest governorship

A Federal High Court in Abuja says a candidate cannot be disqualified from an election for failure to participate in the National Youth Service Corps scheme.

NYSC members

The court made this pronouncement on Wednesday when it struck out a suit brought against the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, by a former senator, Iyabo Anisulowo.

Details of the judgement were sent to PREMIUM TIMES by Mr Abiodun’s spokesperson in a reports gathered by VAM News.

The pre-election suit challenged the eligibility of Mr Abiodun over his failure to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

The NYSC was established in 1973 and participation is mandatory for all Nigerians who graduate from a tertiary institution in or outside the country before they attain the age of 30.

The presentation of the NYSC discharge certificate awarded at the end of the one-year scheme is a requirement for employment into the formal sector in Nigeria.

Last year, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) disqualified the then Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, from running in its governorship primaries in Oyo State after PREMIUM TIMES exposed him for skipping the NYSC scheme after taking a degree in Law in the late 1970s.

Despite the revelation that he dodged the NYSC, President Muhammadu Buhari allowed Mr Shittu to remain as minister until the dissolution of the federal executive council last month.

The former minister challenged his disqualification from the APC primaries but the court dismissed his suit against the party.

Mr Shittu also accused the APC of double standards for allowing some aspirants such as Mr Abiodun to run for its tickets even though they had also been accused of skipping the NYSC scheme despite being graduates.

The former minister has also sued the NYSC, arguing that participation in the NYSC is not a requirement to hold public office.