Nigeria’s main opposition party has claimed credit for the initiation of the bill that allows younger Nigerians seek elective offices.
The Peoples Democratic Party claims that President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress had no input in the bill.
“The attempt by President Buhari and his failed party, the APC to take credit for the ‘Not Too Young to Run Act”, which was sponsored and pursued by the PDP members in the national and state houses of assembly is criminal and totally unacceptable.
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“President Buhari had no input whatsoever in the bill; never showed any support or enthusiasm towards the initiative but had no option than to perform a mandatory statutory duty of assenting to the bill, given that it had already passed through the constitutional requirements.
“This development is indeed a democratic victory for the Nigerian youths over forces, particularly, the APC that had hitherto disdained and disregarded them as lazy and inconsequential but had to succumbed to the dictates of the law and pressure by the youths and the PDP.
“We commend the sponsor of the bill, Hon. Tony Nwulu (PDP, Lagos) and the resilience of the Nigerians youths in getting the initiative through, in line with the vision of the PDP to allow younger Nigerians to actively participate in elective positions in governance.”
The opposition party said it had prepared for the passage of the bill by putting its own mechanism into place. “In preparation for the passage of the bill, the PDP had since launched our ‘Generation Next Movement’, which has already put younger Nigerians at vantage positions to participate in elective positions ahead of the 2019 general elections.
