Asaba – A pressure group under the umbrella of Southern Nigeria Youth Congress (SNYC) in Asaba, Delta State Capital issued a six-month ultimatum to the National Assembly to pass the bill seeking to reduce the age criteria for candidates running for elective positions in the country.
The youths In a solidarity protest said there will be a mass action against national lawmakers unless the bill is passed within the next six months,
The age criteria bill seeks to reduce the age for presidential candidates from 40 to 30; governorship and senatorial candidates from 35 to 30; and House of Representative and state Assemblies from 30 to 25.
SNYC wondered why the National Assembly is foot-dragging in passing the bill which had since scaled through second reading, and was now before the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review.
According to them ,”We hereby give National Assembly six months ultimatum from today January 2017 to complete the process of passage of the bill into law, in order to allow youth participate in the 2019 general election, if they must continue to have the faith and trust of the youth and avert mass action,”
SNYC president, Mr. Ugagaoghene Ogheneyole said that the bill when passed, assented to and implemented, will be of immense benefits to youths aspiring for elective offices in future elections across the country, explaining that the bill was aimed at altering sections 65, 106,131, and 177 of the 1999 constitution as amended.
Mr. Ogheneyole explained that the bill was aimed at aligning the voting age of eighteen (18) with the eligibility age for contesting for political offices in Nigeria.
“We the Southern Nigeria Youth Congress have accepted and agreed that the bill is a welcome development, and want to appreciate the National Assembly especially members that have deemed it fit to sponsor the bill should speedy the passage,” he said.
Ogheneyole who urged federal government to consider independent candidates running for the legislative positions, advocated the alignment voting age with eligibility age as enshrined in the constitution which gives the citizen a right to vote and be voted for.
The group urged federal government to work with the report of the CONFAB 2014 which recommended first degree (BSc, HND, ND and NCE) as the minimum qualification for eligibility to run, rather than O’level.
Besides, SNYC sought reduction of price of nomination forms to accommodate independent youths interested in elective positions as a way of extinguishing god-fatherism.
