Oladotun Fadeyiye
Today, 31st May 2018, barely two days after Democracy Day commemoration, 29th May of every year – a day set aside to celebrate Nigeria’s fragile and nascent democracy, another history was made as Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari in his magnanimity assented the most popular bill in the year 2018, #Nottooyoungtorun bill making it constitutional law.
#Notooyountorun Bill has become an Act which reduces the age of the Nigerian Young persons who can contest for elective positions – Presidential position from 40 years to 35years and the age of those who can contest for Senatorial seat from 30 year to 25year.
To be candid, it feels so exciting to know
that the collective efforts of the #Nigerianyouth were never in vain over #NotTooYoungToRun Bill! It is a proof that truly, advocacy works!
We are overjoyed that for the first time in the history of Nigeria as a nation with nascent and fragile democracy, youth advocacy produced tangible result toward achieving a good governance and sustainable democractic decision.
This is indeed one of the democratic milestones that Africa as a continent truly desires and deserves at this period of prevalent and pervasive undemocratic activities and frequent political instability that have bedeviled the continent over the years, considering the numbers of recurrent failed leadership apparatus in virtually all of the African States.
Through this milestone Nigeria has just proven to other African nations that with democractic governance in place the future of the young Africans has not totally gone bleak.
Because with honest and open democratic system there will be equity and equal opportunities for all and sundry.
At this juncture, there is no gainsaying that the future of our beloved nation is in the hands of her vibrant youth group which constitutes the 65% of her population as well as her workforce, which makes the youth group the major contributors to Nigeria’s GDP.
Nevertheless, with this new milestone every Nigerian youth can only be more optimistic that it will engender positive increased in youth participation and representation in governace and at all decision making levels thereby heightening the crescendo of the youth involvement towards achieving good governance that we have all been yearning for.
God bless Nigeria!