The Nigerian Senate has just approved age qualification reduction for elections in Nigeria as well as independent candidacy. What this means is that 3
The Nigerian Senate has just approved age qualification reduction for elections in Nigeria as well as independent candidacy. What this means is that 30-year-old Nigerians can now contest for Presidency as independent candidates.
Recall that yesterday, the ‘Not too young to run’ bill and ‘Independent Candidacy Bill’ has been passed at the Nigerian senate. The campaign seeks to reduce the age limit for running for elected office in Nigeria.
The campaign started in support of bills and motions at the Nigeria’s National Assembly sponsored by Tony Nwulu in the House of Representatives and AbdulAziz Nyako in the Senate. Their measures sought to reduce the age for running for the presidency of Nigeria from 40 years to 30 years for state governor -from 35 to 30, for Senate – from 35 to 30, for the House of Representatives – from 30 to 25 and for State Houses of Assembly – from 30 to 25.
The campaign which has now assumed a global dimension with the hashtag #NotTooYoungToRun was with the ultimate goal to promote increased youth participation in the political sphere as well as independent candidacy. Supporters of the bill held a peaceful protest yesterday at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The Senate also approved the membership of former Presidents of the Senate and Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Council of State as well as proposal to allow funding of the state Houses of Assembly directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the states. These were some of the outcomes of the ongoing votes at the Senate on the 33 proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution.
