SAVE THE #NOTTOOYOUNGTORUN BILL: A PRESS STATEMENT AGAINST THE EXCLUSION OF NOT TO YOUNG RUN BILL FROM THE REPORT OF THE CONSTITUTION REVIEW COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Recent report reaching the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign indicates that the report of the Joint Committee of Senate and House of Representatives Constitution review has conveniently excluded the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill which is the only bill that proposes for youth inclusion government in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The #NotTooYoungToRun Bill sponsored by Senator Abdul Aziz Nyako and Honorable Tony Nwulu in both houses has an overall objective of promoting inclusive governance by opening the political space for young people to run for elective offices in Nigeria. This goal of the Bill is an affirmation and reinforcement the right of citizens to participate in government and the democratic principles of inclusion, participation and representation.

Having passed the first and second reading in both Houses in fulfilment of the constitution amendment procedure, the #NotTooYoungRun Bill boosted Nigeria’s image at the international level with the United Nations subsequently adopting the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign as a global campaign and according Nigeria the due recognition in all its engagement on youth rights as human rights proceeding from the global adoption. The 8th Assembly rode on the popularity and recognition of the Bill by constantly making reference to the Bill and identifying the bill as one of its achievement in the assessment of its second legislative year. Interestingly, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) also selected Nigeria as the host of the 2017 African Youth Conference for Young Parliamentarians scheduled to hold in September 2017.

As one of the leading countries in Africa and in this era of Africa rising when the African Union has adopted the 2017 theme of “Harnessing the Demographic Dividends through Investment in Youth with recognition of youth political inclusion as a major investment in youth, it is disappointing that the members of the Constitution review committee do not see the wisdom is projecting Nigeria as a true giant of Africa by taking leadership in investing in its youth through the passage of the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill. More worrisome is the justification for killing the bill which include:

Most lawmakers in the National Assembly will be unseated in the 2019 elections by young people if the bill is passed;
As a country, Nigeria is not ready for younger leaders;
Young people have no place in leadership and politics;

It is rather unfortunate that once again a germane and people driven bill like the #NotTooYoungToRun is sacrificed on the altar of politics and self-serving interest of rulers who believe being in government is a right and will not hesitate to deprive Nigeria of the opportunity to experience leadership from diverse perspectives. The passage of this bill does not automatically grant young people access to government because our competitive electoral system falls back on the ability of voters to choose their leaders. NotTooYoungToRun seeks to give young people with capacity and competence the opportunity to contest in elections. It is not an automatic card to leadership.

As a campaign, which has succeeded in projecting the viability and strength of the youth and have become a unifying platform for young people across the country and beyond, we clearly state that the National Assembly betrays the youth of Nigeria if it wilfully kills the NotTooYoungToRun Bill. Killing this Bill is shutting the doors of leadership to young people who constitute about 60% of the total population in Nigeria. Killing this Bill is saying to Nigerians that inclusion is only a myth used by politicians to excite the populace with a false dream of having the opportunity to make impact in Nigeria.

We are a young democracy and cannot for the sake of the future of our dear country keep numb when our leaders are gradually transforming our system into a gerontocracy.

We therefore call make the following demand;

We call on the leadership of the National Assembly to fulfil its promise to the Nigerian youth and the international community by ensuring the inclusion of Not Too Young To Run in the report of the constitution review committee and its passage at plenary;

We call on the on Nigerian youth to once again take leadership in holding our lawmakers accountable to us. Give your representatives a call, write to them, pay them a visit and demand the passage of the Not Too Young To Run;

The campaign is committed to mobilizing constituents to commence recall proceedings against members of the constitution review who voted against the pro-people amendment if our demands are not met. We will not hesitate to withdraw the youth vote for all the legislators who voted against the bill.

The campaign is also committed to using every means possible within the ambit of the law, to make our voices heard until the National Assembly accedes to our request.

Signed
Ibrahim Faruk
For the Not Too Young To Run