CSOs urge Pres. Buhari to sign Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill
Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement, a Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), on Monday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the age reduction bill already sent to him.
A statement signed by one of the Principal Officers of the movement, Mr Samson Itodo, in Abuja, said that the group had already sent a letter to the President in that regard.
It said that the bill known as the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill sought to enhance youth’s participant in politics.
It said that the agitation for age reduction for persons to participate in politics was premised on five points of promoting inclusion, deepening inter-generational dialogue and exchange, and enhancing democratic development.
“Till date, this campaign has gained both national and global attention with the United Nations adopting it as a global campaign for youth inclusion.
“More recently, the African Union and ECOWAS also endorsed the campaign and have launched it in several countries in Africa like Kenya, Gambia, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Cameroun and Sierra Leone, ” the group said.
It explained that the goal of the Bill was to promote increased youth participation in the political process, recalling that the Senate passed the bill in July, 2017 with an overwhelming majority of 86 senators.
It said that the bill was also passed by a large majority of 261 members in the House of Representatives.
According to the statement, in February, 2018, the age reduction Constitution Amendment Bill popularly known as Not-Too-Young-To-Run was passed by 33 out of 36 states’ Houses of Assembly.
It explained that the bill was among the amendments transmitted to the National Assembly by the houses of assembly on March 1, 2018.
“With this unprecedented feat, the world looks to you to assent to the constitutional amendment.
“Once you assent, the bill becomes law making it possible for young people to run for office in 2019 and beyond.
“It is against this background that the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement requests that you assent to the age reduction bill as soon as the National Assembly transmits the constitutional amendment bills to you,” the group urged Buhari.
It said that the movement comprised youth and civil society organizations drawn from different parts of the country working to promote youth issues in policy-making and constitution review. (NAN)
