By Pascal Oparada
Social Media/Tech Reporter
Nigerians are celebrating the success of the Not Too Young to Run law as younger people emerge across several houses of Assembly in Nigeria.
In Oyo State, 33-year-old Debo Ogundoyin became the Speaker for the state House of Assembly while in Plateau State another 33-year-old a first timer, Abok Ayuba emerged the state House of Assembly Speaker.
The bill, which was signed into law last year by President Muhammadu Buhari, was championed by young Nigerians who sought to have younger people included in governance.
The law was amended to allow young Nigerians within the age bracket of 36 become both governors and president and 25 for house of assembly members.
Prior to the law, no Nigerian below the age of 36 can vie for the position of governor and 42 for the presidency.
One of the conveners of the Not Too Young to Run law, Hamzat Lawal told TheNiche that the law has produced a 26 year-old youngest lawmaker in Akwa Ibom State, South-South, Nigeria.
Lawal said the would approach the incoming National Assembly to further reduce the age limits.
“We would approach the ninth National Assembly and we are looking at reducing the age further and ensuring that we have independent candidacy and do away with money politics so that we put a cap on campaign finance,” he said.
