President Buhari Agrees To Sign ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill

President Buhari Agrees To Sign ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday assured Nigerians that the ‘Not too Young to Run Bill’ will be signed into law in a few days’ time.

The president disclosed this in his Democracy Day speech which aired Tuesday at 7:00 a.m.

“In few days to come, I will be joined by many promising young Nigerians to sign into law the “Not Too Young to Run” Bill,” Mr Buhari said.

The president’s comments would relieve proponents of the revolutionary new law which is aimed at relaxing some of the stringent and discriminatory provisions of the Constitution.

The bill was passed by the National Assembly last year to alter Sections 65, 106, 131, 177 of the Constitution to reduce the age qualification for president from 40 to 30; governor from 35 to 30; senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25.

Lawmakers also approved independent candidature in the new law. It was part of a wider constitutional amendment process which the National Assembly carried out last year.

Since its passage in July 2017 by the National Assembly, about 25 states, representing more than two-thirds of the country’s 36 states, had adopted the bill as at March ending.

It was the outcome of relentless efforts by a coalition of more than 40 youth-based initiatives across the country.

There were initial fears that Mr Buhari may not sign the bill because it was not politically expedient, but administration officials repeatedly pushed back against this assertion, saying the president is open to any initiative that would further the interest of the younger generation.