Medical evaluation should be part what aspirants should go through to be
certified mentally and physically fit
for every position aspired for .

Mental activities include their level of intelligence quotient which should also be evaluated by doctors. Their medical fitness should also be evaluated . Some of them have medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. They should be examined to know how they would manage such conditions.

Some have some terminal diseases.President Muhammadu Buhari , who has gone for medical treatment in th United Kingdom, should have been ev aluated even before the 2015 Presidential election so that we would have known if he is fit for that position.



If Buhari had been evaluated ,we would have known whether or not he is medically fit for the office.Every elected political office holder must be certified by a medical practitioner before the person gets to the position he / she intends to occupy .


Political positions have an amount of stress on their own . So , those aspiring to occupy such offices should be certified fit before occupation.Not certifying them will cause a lot of things. Fo instance , President Buhari has abandoned some of the activities he should have engaged in for the nation. This is drawing the nnation backward.

For him not to be around for about 50 days has been affecting the nation. Even as we have an acting President, he will only be acting. There are some decisions which he cannot take and he must liaise with the President before taking them . All aspirants for elective political offices must be medically evaluated . From councillors, members of state and
national Houses of Assembly, governors and their deputies to the President and the Vice President; they should be medically evaluated before they are voted into office.

•Dr Sarumi
Olukunle (Chief Medical Director/
Chairman, Med Care Hospitals Limited,
Ilorin , Kwara State )


We should not ascribe to ourselves the power of our God all in the name of democracy . No one can predict the future on the basis of a man’ s health .This may also be far - reaching and giving in to the temptation of having an over burdened statute book , where everything is written just to satisfy crisis entrepreneurs that want to make a mess of our unity and peaceful coexistence .


In my view , the 1999 constitution has an existing legal framework that permits peaceful transition of power in the case of a vacuum, occasioned either by death or outright removal of an officer (either elected or appointed ) by any authority . This is the beauty of democracy and it goes a long way to test the maturity of every democratic experiment anywhere in the world.

The question of life and death is not necessarily an outcome of sickness or any particular ailment in the society and may have nothing to do with provision of good governance in any sane society. Nigerians should learn to channel their useful energy into useful
ventures like debates on how to move their country forward , improve on our existing structures and researches into fields that are proving difficult to bear positively on our national life as a people.


I think , it is absurd to turn the health status into a political narrative of a country where stable power supply,good medical care and standard education are still issues militating against the society. Succumbing to such will indirectly rob citizens of their rights to private life , which is a fundamental issue encapsulated in the Human Rights Act and other
international protocols on human rights .


Our participation in politics or any sphere of life should not become an albatross to our existence as globa citizens of the world at any point in time; rather , it should be seen as a vehicle to promote the advancement of the human race in line with time and
age . It is only in a corrupt setup that participation in politics is seen as good to the individual , and not service to humanity which makes this question
only relevant in the Nigerian project .


Finally, let me submit that politician like every other serious - minded Nigerian should embark on periodic medical checks as precautionary measures are key to healthy living as well as providing leadership at the family level. It is therefore the responsibility of everyone to make his/her health a priority before aspiring for a leadership position .

• Philip Agbese (Dean, Faculty Project NigeriaConference )

Issues relating to ill health of office holders are accidents of nature. It is
not in our statue books that aspirants must undergo any form of medical checks before contesting an election.The question now will be , what will be the extent of medical examination that you want to subject an aspirant to ?


Again, what is the limit to someone’s privacy that you are intruding into if you make such tests mandatory ?
At the time they were presenting themselves for elections, if no law prevents them from running for the position they are seeking , I think
aspirants should be allowed to run for elective offices. If you subject someone to a medical examination now , what says he wouldn ’ t develop a medical condition when he becomes elected?This move is not a full proof thing. So, I think we should not go there .


The problems facing Nigeria bother on
peoples ’ ethical standards and that
should be our worry. We should begin
to judge people by their ethical
standard and not medical condition.
Whether it is HIV or heart disease , you
could develop that in the course of
running a government . You could
develop hypertension while in office
and if poorly managed, it could result
to heart failure . I suggest that ethical
screening be carried out on aspirants
instead of medical examinations .
Politicians lie about their ages and
certificates and those should be issues
of concern. Aspirants ’ background
records should be properly verified .
Health is a gift in a way . No matter
what we say , we do not have that
supreme authority over it. You could
be well today and get sick tomorrow .


•Dr Ofem Enang, (Consultant Endocrinologist, University of Calabar
Teaching Hospital )
Medical evaluation should be made compulsory for aspirants . This is
necessary and should be encouraged to avoid quagmire. But the question is ,
would politicians be sincere ? The body
responsible for conducting elections in
Nigeria is the Independent National
Electoral Commission . Is the body
empowered to demand the health
status of aspirants as a condition for
screening them for elective offices?
The late President Umaru Yar ’Adua
became sick during the campaign for
2007 Presidential election and was
even flown abroad for treatment . He
was allowed to contest the election
and went ahead to win it. When he fell
sick in office , the manner his medical
status was shrouded in secrecy by his
handlers caused a lot of confusion in
the polity . That eventually led to the
enactment of “ doctrine of necessity. ”
I think the constitution has taken care
of our fears by saying the deputy
should take over in case of any
eventuality to the occupier of the
office. Anyone could fall sick at any
time. People die when they don ’t even
fall sick . In all, the decision at any
given time should lie with the people.


•Temitope Olaoye (An Ekiti -based dentist) Aspirants for political offices should go for full medical evaluation by a group of certified specialist medical doctors selected from across the nation. The
situation where no sooner a President is elected than he becomes a liability and a medical embarrassment to the nation is becoming unacceptable.f you are not healthy , you cannot perform. That medical evaluation has become inevitable ; it must be made compulsory for all who aspire .

•
Abdulkadir Abdulsalam (National
Chairman, Labour Party )

It will be good if Nigeria will make it compulsory for every political aspirant to undergo medical evaluation . In fact, it should not be restricted to only
political officers, but should include all aspiring public office holders .


This is because we would not want to be experiencing where our office holders brake down while on duty because of certain ailments they live with. A thorough medical evaluation will help reveal the health status of the individual contesting for a position .


It will help to provide early management for any person found to be ill . Health wise, some diseases are astigmatic; they come without symptoms. That health evaluation will be good to find out such diseases . It will also help the individual to know
his health status and begin to seek treatment in good time .

•Mr. Linus
Owhondah (A Port -Harcourt -based
Medical Laboratory scientist )

Medical evaluation should be part what aspirants should go through to be certified mentally and physically fit for every position aspired for . Mental activities include their level of intelligence quotient which should also be evaluated by doctors. Their medical fitness should also be evaluated