Nigeria: Group Wants 'Not Too Young to Run Act' Included in Party Constitutions

The group also set May 2025 as the target date to achieve a 35 per cent affirmative action quota in all political parties.

A group, the National Youth Leaders' Forum of Political Parties in Nigeria (NYLFPPN), has set the target of March 2027 for the incorporation of the "Not Too Young To Run Act" into the constitutions of all political parties in the country.

This is contained in the document it unveiled on Monday in Abuja.

The event was organised by the Westminister Foundation for Democracy (WFD) under its Nigeria Open Political Party (NOPP) project.

The document, titled: "Strategy for Promoting Youths Participation in Political Party Systems (2024-2027)", contains six goals set by political parties.

Not Too Young to Run (NTYTR) Act was signed in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The legislation resulted in a reduction in the age qualification for the office of the President from 40 years to 35 years, the House of Representatives from 30 years to 25 years, and the State House of Assembly from 30 years to 25 years.

The move by the forum is to ensure that all political parties adopt the provision of the Act into their constitutions.

There are 18 registered political parties in Nigeria.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the adoption of the draft document in February. Now, the youth leaders have put a time frame within which it would achieve all the goals in the document.

The group has set May 2025 as the target date to achieve a 35 per cent affirmative action quota in all political parties.

It has also agreed to ensure the Implementation of the 35 per cent youth affirmative action in appointments into executive positions, including cabinets, boards and other governance structures at all levels.

Waiver for elective positions....

On the waiver of fees for youth aspirants, NYLFPPN set a December 2024 deadline to accomplish that goal, and March 2027 for all political parties to amend their constitutions to recognise youth as people within the age bracket of 18-35 years.

Meanwhile, the group is also seeking the establishment of youth wings in all political parties by May 2025

We'll get Tinubu, others involved in implementation

In his remarks, the Chairman of the forum and Youth Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Muhammed Musa, said the forum will ensure the implementation of the document by engaging relevant groups and individuals.

Mr Musa said the forum is going to inform President Bola Tinubu of the recommendations in the document.

"Today's public presentation of the action plan is a culmination of months of diligent collaboration, extensive research, and thoughtful deliberation.

"This comprehensive roadmap outlines a clear and actionable framework for promoting youth participation, fostering gender equality, and enhancing the overall inclusivity within political parties.

"As we gather here today, let us acknowledge the pivotal role that our youth play in shaping the destiny of our nation," he said.

In his remarks, the Country Director of WFD, Adebowale Olorunmola, said that young people must rise to take over leadership and to work.

He said the action plan that has been developed is the beginning of the work and that the youth must engage in its implementation to be represented in governance.

"Young people need to organise more, we need to network more among ourselves, we need to be more focused on the issues in the political terrain that we need to engage so that we don't play politics as usual but politics with results.

"We need to make a departure from politics of money to politics of service and politics of results. Again, we need to be very deliberate with our plan and we need to take ownership of the process," he said

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