For a presidential candidate to be elected in Nigeria, he had to satisfy the following conditions EXCEPT: he

Analyze the question: This is an "EXCEPT" question. Four options are real conditions for a presidential candidate in Nigeria, and one is not. We need to find the one that is NOT a condition.

Concept: Under the 1999 Constitution (and earlier ones such as the 1979 Constitution), a person is qualified to contest for President if he:

• is a citizen of Nigeria by birth (E ✔)
• has attained the required age (40 years)
• is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party (B ✔)
• has School Certificate level education or its equivalent

A person is disqualified if he:

• is of unsound mind, i.e., declared insane (C ✔)
• is an undischarged bankrupt (D ✔)
• has been convicted of certain offences such as fraud or dishonesty

Winning conditions: To be declared elected, a candidate must have:

• the highest number of votes cast, and
• at least one-quarter (25%) of the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the FCT, Abuja.

Step-by-step check:

• A. "Must secure one-quarter of the votes cast in an election". This is incomplete and misleading. The requirement is one-quarter of the votes in two-thirds of the states, not one-quarter of the total votes cast. As worded, it is not the exact constitutional condition.
• B. Must be sponsored by a registered political party. This is a real requirement. ✔
• C. Must not be insane. This is a real requirement. ✔
• D. Must not be bankrupt. This is a real requirement. ✔
• E. Must be a Nigerian citizen. This is a real requirement. ✔

Answer: Options B, C, D and E are all genuine conditions. Option A is the odd one out because it misstates the electoral rule. It is a condition for winning, not for candidacy, and it is not stated accurately.

Exam tip: Remember the winning formula for Nigerian presidential elections: majority of votes + 25% in at least 2/3 of the states (and the FCT). Whenever an option mentions "25%" without "two-thirds of the states", be suspicious. Also separate qualifications to contest (citizenship, age, party sponsorship, education) from requirements to win.