Nigeria to cut age limits for political candidates

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said that he would sign the Not-Too- YoungTo- Run Bill into law as well approve a new law to reduce the age limit for political office.
In the Democracy Day speech delivered yesterday to mark the 19 years of uninterrupted civil rule, President Buhari’s comment raised hope that Nigeria is likely to see younger candidates at next year’s general election.
“In (a) few days to come, I will be joined by many promising young Nigerians to sign into law the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill,” he said in a speech to mark the country’s annual Democracy Day public holiday.
The bill reduces the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35, and state governors and senators from 35 to 30.
The minimum age for national and state assembly members will now be 25.
The bill, which has generated profound interests from politically conscious younger Nigerians especially following the election of 38- year old President Macron of France, aims to increase the participation of young people in politics.
The Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement organisation, which has backed the bill, has said youth inclusion was “a constitutional imperative for democratic development”.
Only recently, President Buhari in London said about 60 percent of Nigeria’s estimated 180 million people are younger half of which are under 30.
It would be recalled that although both houses of parliament had last year received the constitutionally required approval of two-thirds of state legislatures, and even forwarded it to the president for assent, the bill is yet to be assented to.

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