YIAGA wants age slashed for governorship, senatorial candidates

As the National Assembly begins the process of constitutional amendment, the promoters of NotTooYoungToRun movement have called on the lawmakers to amend the law to reduce the required age for senate and governorship. Executive Director of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA Africa), Mr Samson Itodo, said the bill passed into law by […]

As the National Assembly begins the process of constitutional amendment, the promoters of NotTooYoungToRun movement have called on the lawmakers to amend the law to reduce the required age for senate and governorship.

Executive Director of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA Africa), Mr Samson Itodo, said the bill passed into law by the last National Assembly only reduced the qualification age of president, House of Representatives and House of Assembly while retaining the qualification age for governorship and senatorial candidates.

He was speaking in Lagos on the sidelines of the Legislative Retreat on Youth Development organised for members of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development.

Itodo said the retention of the age qualification for governor and Senate was not the demand of the movement and tasked the ninth assembly to take up the responsibility of amending the law.

He noted that while the qualification age for House of Assembly was slashed to 25, the age criterion for governorship was retained at 35.

“Therefore, if you have a situation where you have no governor, deputy governor and the speaker of the State House of Assembly is under 35, so he cannot assume that position,” he said, adding, “So this ninth National Assembly has a responsibility to align the age.”

According to him, the movement would not rest until it retired “old and expired” politicians.

The Chairman, House Committee on Youth Development, Hon. Yemi Adaramodu, said the retreat was to prepare the committee members for the challenges of propelling youths for national development.

Professor Alfred Adegoke of the University of Ilorin said the youths must always be involved and consulted in making policies targeted at them.