Today, Thursday, 31st May, 2018, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, signed the Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill into law.
This bill (which is now a law, following the signing) is the Fourth Alteration Act to the 1999 Constitution. It was signed to reduce the age at which a Nigerian citizen becomes eligible to hold elective and appointive positions in the country.
Before now, the minimum age for running for Presidency was 40. Now, it is 35. For the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly, it was reduced from 30 to 25.
While signing the bill inside the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Buhari jokingly said “Don’t run against me.”
Nigerians’ Reactions to the Signing of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill
Many Nigerians took to Twitter to react to the signing of the bill, and air their opinions. See some of these reactions below:
President Buhari officially signed a “not too young to run” bill today reducing the age to campaign for various government positions. This is a loud call to us youths. There’s so much we can do and change. Don’t sleep🇳🇬
— tomiwa (@IndomiePapi) May 31, 2018
FLASH: President Buhari has finally signed the Not Too Young To Run Bill.
This will probably be the biggest and singular achievement of his administration.
Thank you Mr. President.
— OLÓRÍ OKO (@Adebayoraph) May 31, 2018
Significant day it is today,not too young to run bill signed into Law by the President so over to the youths now,all expectations on you now,our country is in a deep mess & we look forward to you to salvage the situation,you must not fail,never.
— Chike Ogeah (@chike_ogeah) May 31, 2018
I can only congratulate Mr President for Signing” not too young to run bill” if only he can stop his ambition for a younger person in 2019!
— Third World News (@ibro_bunu2520) May 31, 2018
While commending the signing of the Not Too Young To Run bill, I see 2 areas of challenge that also needs to be addressed
1. Cost of running for election
2. Level of poverty in our land. Our people have been so impoverished overt the years that their only hope of dividends of /2— CAPTAIN (@PaulUtho) May 31, 2018
Now that Not Too young to run bill was passed, the next bill we want is Too old to run.
— Ahmadkaraye (@abclairs) May 31, 2018
What is your opinion about the signing of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill into law? Do let us know in the Comment section below.
Author: Vincent Abolarin
Vincent is a Nigerian blogger with special interest in the history and current happenings in the country. When he is not blogging, he enjoys reading and playing computer games.