President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the
‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill into law.
History was made on
Thursday when President Buhari assented to the bill at the Council Chambers of
the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The Personal Assistant
to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, posted two videos on Twitter which
shows President Buhari signing the bill into law.
Addressing a gathering of youths who witnessed
the signing, the President said, “Your focus and contributions have now
successfully increased the quality and maturity of Nigerian democracy and
expanded the playing field for youth participation in politics.
“You, the young people
of Nigeria, are now set to leave your mark on the political space, just as you
have done over the decades in entrepreneurship, sports, art, media
entertainment, technology, and several other fields.”
President Buhari had
promised to assent to the bill while addressing the nation on Tuesday in a live
broadcast in Abuja.
“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 had said in his Democracy Day’s speech.
Both Senate and the
House of Representatives had passed the bill in 2017.
It later received the
constitutionally required approval of two-thirds of National Assembly, leaving
the final step of presidential assent.
‘Not Too Young To Run’
bill seeks a reduction in the age limit for presidential candidates from 40 to
35, as well as state governors and senators from 35 to 30.
Following the
President’s approval, the minimum age for national and state assembly members
will now be 25.
The primary aim of the
bill is to increase the participation of young people in politics, as more than
half of the nation’s population is below age 30.
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