Abuja Court Says Candidates cannot be Disqualified from Elections for Skipping NYSC

Participating in NYSC scheme, not a prerequisite for graduates contesting elections says Abuja High Court

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria's capital has said, that a candidate cannot be disqualified from contesting in an election for failure to participate in the National Youth Service Corp scheme (NYSC).

The ruling by the court came when it stroke out a suit brought against Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun by a former Senator, Iyabo. The filed suit challenged the eligibility of Abiodun over his lack of participation in the NYSC scheme.

The NYSC scheme was established in 1973 and made mandatory for all Nigeria graduates in or outside the country before attaining age 30. In a similar situation, last year, Adebayo Shitu, the then Minister of Communication, was disqualified by the ruling All Progressives Congress party from running in it's Oyo State governorship primaries for skipping the NYSC scheme after taking a degree in Law in the late 70s.