Mental checks for Nigerian candidates?

ABUJA. – The Nigerian Medical Association ( NMA) has called for the psychiatric evaluation of governorship and presidential candidates ahead of the 2023 elections.

The professional body also said medical tests of the candidates would provide a comprehensive view of the state of the body system of those aspiring to hold political offices in the country.

There had been calls for the medical screening of candidates to determine their state of health, with many Nigerians arguing over the constitutionality or otherwise of such a move.

The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Buba Marwa , stoked the controversy in April when he asked political parties to include drug integrity tests as part of the screening processes for candidates.

Speaking to The Punch in Abuja on Tuesday, the president, Dr Uche NMA Ojinmah, listed the battery of tests that candidates should undergo to ascertain their state of health and fitness for office.

“Simple medical check-ups such as chest X-ray, cardiac echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound scan, urinalysis, kidney function test, liver function test, blood pressure and blood glucose assessment will give one a comprehensive view of the state of the body system,” he said.