By ‘Dotun Akintomide
The Yoruba Council of Youths World Wide, (YCYW) has described the signing of the ‘Not-Too-Young-To-Run’ bill into law by President Muhammadu Buhari as historic milestone that will deepen youths’ participation in the nation’s democractic process.
Buhari on Thursday, May 31 had signed the bill into law which reduced the age limit for those seeking election into state assemblies and House of Representatives from 30 to 25.
The age limit for the Office of the President was reduced from 40 years to 35 years, while the Act retains 35 years of age for eligibility to contest in governorhip and senatorial elections.
In a statement forwarded to The New Diplomat, the President of the Council, Aremo Dotun Hassan, commended the President for assenting to the bill in good time, cautioning the youths that enormous challenges still lie ahead in ensuring an appreciable number of young people seek and win positions in future elections.
“We the Yoruba Youths on behalf of all the youths of the Federal Republic of Nigeria heartily felicitates with all Nigerian Youths on these historic milestone of achieving the much expected “Not Too Young To Run Law 2018” as being remarkably assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“To the president, we remain highly grateful for your quick response to our yearnings. This is a rear prove of Your Excellency’s listening capacity to heed to our common cries and predicaments, as this is a worthy believe in the youths of this great nation and this will remain indelible in our hearts for many years to come.”
“But Alas, this should serve as a re-awakening call to duty, not just to celebrate the lowering of the high bar to co-habit our age grades to run for House of Assembly and Presidency positions alone. But to condemn the lack of patriotism to sovereign rights of the citizenry by the members of the National Assembly who felt conspicuously threatened by the on-going tsunami of progress raving across the length and breadth of Nigeria, and thereby failed to lower the age to contest for Governor and Senate positions.” the statement read.
Hassan who is also a presidential hopeful in 2019 said after young people had advocated for the Act to become a reality in not less than three years, “the greatest challenge that lies before us is the uneasiness that portends to be our fear of wearing the threshold crown of history.
“More so, we must be able to summon a greater patriotic will towards building our dying nation, for its ailments are self-inflicted chronic mental diseases, which is curable if we can all remain solidly united to win this war and battle of life.
“Our steadfastness needs to be strategically harnessed for the common good of all; our vision needs better clarity and wiser horizon towards navigating our path to greatness.
“Hence, one critical thing about our efforts is the desire for growth; passion for welfare and thirst for success. These are vital tripods that bind us together this day, however, we are the only one that can tell our self the bitter truth.
“We must shun bringadage of war, thuggery, juvenile delinquencies, economic and moral crimes, sharp practices, sexual pervasive tendencies and culture of indiscipline that now pervades us. This tends to make us a laughing stock of lazy brains. The time is ripe to wake up from our long time slumbers into the reality of hope.”
Meanwhile, since the signing of the bill on Thursday, it has triggered loads of divergent comments among Nigerians on Twitter and elsewhere.
Here are some of them:
If we get a competent president in his 50s in 2019 then we are very lucky.
Sowore and Fela Durutoye are closer to 50 than 40. Moghalu is in his 50s.
Yes #NotTooYoungToRun is good but it must be about capacity and competence.
— Adeyanju Deji 🇳🇬 (@adeyanjudeji) June 1, 2018
Congratulations to young Nigerians as President @MBuhari speedily signed the #NotTooYoungToRun bill. As we say in APYF @APCYouthWing – #TakePartToTakeCharge, I encourage us all to get involved in the democratic process beyond having PVCs,
but joining parties & running for office— Ife Adebayo (@IfeAdebayo) May 31, 2018
The #president will never take the #accolades that come with the activation of the #NotTooYoungToRun bill. This is the same man that said Nigerian youth are #lazy. He should be grateful that our HARD WORKED effort gave him the #privilege of signing this bill in his time. pic.twitter.com/9jotu9zwjN
— EEU. 🇳🇬 (@royaltyuso) June 1, 2018
The real achievement of the #NotTooYoungToRun Act is not the lowering of age limits or even the chances of increased participation. Those may not make much difference in the short term. It is that change is possible in Nigeria when the youth come together & demand it. That’s BIG!
— Dr. Joe Abah (@DrJoeAbah) June 1, 2018
I think my biggest problem is knowing Nigeria's history. As we celebrate #NotTooYoungToRun today, it hits me that in 1979, the Nigerian constitution allowed a 21yr old to run for House of Reps/Assembly and 30 for Senate. We haven't even matched our past yet! We are in 2018.
— Adewunmi Emoruwa (@eadewunmi) May 31, 2018
PDP claims ownership of d #NotTooYoungToRun Law -News
PDP is used to owning what doesnt belong to them Thats why they loot everything in sight
The bill was also passed under PDP by d 7th assembly but Jonathan failed to signThe bill was signed into a NIGERIAN Act, not a PDP act
— Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) June 1, 2018
RT if you don’t care whether it was PDP or APC that sponsored or signed the #NotTooYoungToRun Act, that you are just happy that it has come into being, and that you don’t want political insulters to steal the glory for doing zilch.
— Dr. Joe Abah (@DrJoeAbah) May 31, 2018
The #NotTooYoungToRun will not, can not transcend into a political party, this movement remains none partisan and we will support all Nigeria youth who aspire for public office pic.twitter.com/wPfBcH0Kgi
— CODE (@Connected_dev) June 1, 2018
On the same day that the allegedly 75 year old Buhari signed the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill, it was announced that his party, APC, picked a 74 year old to be its deputy Governor candidate for the July 14 Ekiti guber election. Youths of Nigeria, can’t you see they are just using you?
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) May 31, 2018
Are you a young person running for office in the 2019 or 2013 elections? Visit https://t.co/kX6VtY67DT and sign up. We are supporting youth candidates #NotTooYoungToRun
— #NotTooYoungToRun (@YIAGA) May 31, 2018
Nigerians only fault corruption when it doesn't favour them. Meanwhile, FYI the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill was signed into law yesterday. Can we also have a #TooOldToRun Law? We can have an Elder statesmen council for advisory role services only. 🤷🏾♀
— Chikaodili Okoye (@ChikaodiliOJ) June 1, 2018
