Reduction in age qualification for offices, victory for youth – Sen. Nazif

Sen. Suleiman Nazif, on Wednesday
commended Senate’s approval of reduction in
age qualification for offices of the President,
Governor, membership of the Senate, House of
Representatives and state houses of
assembly.
Nazif, the senator representing Bauchi North
Senatorial District, made this known in an
interview with newsmen in Abuja.

He said the vote in favour of a bill seeking to
alter sections 65, 106,131 and 177 of the 1999
Constitution was a move to include Nigerian
youth in the process of governance.
According to him, if voted for by two third of
the state houses of assembly and signed into
law by the president, it would give Nigerian
youths the opportunity to use their talent for
the development of the nation.
“Yesterday, a movement known as “The Not
Too Young to Run Movement protested against
age limit in age qualification for appointive and
elective offices and the Senate in its wisdom
has done justice to the matter.
“I was one of the senators that addressed
them and I assured them that the 8th Senate
was pro-youth and would do anything to
ensure that the Nigerian youth was given his
or her pride of place.
“We all know that it is a sensitive issue in
Nigeria but the beauty is that the Senate in its
wisdom applied wisdom and reduced the age
to what Nigerian youths will be satisfied with.
“The 18 years they were clamouring for was
an uphill task.
“However, with what happened today, if it
scales through, the youth, who are in the
majority, will have the opportunity to vie for all
positions they so desire.
“We reduced each of the positions by five
years from what it used to be and I think that
is fair enough to give our youth the
opportunity to contribute their quota to the
development of the nation,’’ he said
It could be recalled that Not Too Young to Run
Movement, a Non-Governmental Organisation,
led by one Mr Samson Itodo stormed the
National Assembly on July 25 demanding that
the age restriction on elective and appointive
positions in the country be removed from the
constitution.
Itodo had maintained that time had come for
young Nigerians to be given the opportunity to
run for office, adding that once a person is
eligible to vote, he or she should be eligible to
run for office.
The Senate on Wednesday, considered the Bill
seeking reduction in age qualification for
offices of the President and Governor,
membership of the Senate, House of
Representatives and state houses of assembly
and 32 other bills.