The signing of the ‘NotTooYoungToRun’ bill into law by President Muhammadu Buhari has elicited reactions among political stakeholders in the country. The question on the lips of many people now is if the development gives any ray of hope of more youths’ involvement in politics in the country.
Last Thursday President Buhari in the presence of selected youths across the country finally signed the ‘not too young to run bill’ into law.
One of the issues that have dominated political discourse in the country in recent time is the need to give more opportunity and chance to the Nigerian youths; that is removing restriction that would inhibit the youths participating in politics and their aspiring for elective positions.
This anticipation informed the furore that heralded the signing of the bill into law which relaxed several stringent and discriminatory provisions of the constitution which stand against young Nigerians from contesting for elective positions.
The new law passed by the Nigerian lawmakers last year July and now assented to by the president, alters sections 65, 106,131,177 of the constitution, and reduces the qualification age for the president from 40, to 30; governors from 35 to 30; Senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives members from 30 to 25 and state House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25.
Perhaps, what has further fueled the agitations over the last few years is the increasing number of youths elected into leadership positions in civilised societies across the world.
France President, Emmanuel Macron was elected at the young age of 39 last year. Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau elected at the age of 43 three years ago, and the North Korean leader who succeeded his father and still leading the Asian country against the west.
While in Nigeria and Africa, the reverse is the case; In spite of several years of bad governance and misrule by the leaders, it seems in several societies there is an entrenched cultural practices which stand against the youths’ participation in politics.
European Union Ambassador and head of the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ketil Karlsen recently raised the alarm about the low number of Nigerian and African youth participation in politics, noting that for democracy to be representative, it must represent all the demographic population of a country of which the youths make up the bulk of the population in Nigeria.
“There is a shortage of youth’s participation in politics in many countries including Nigeria. And I wonder why; is it because of disempowerment? Is it because of alienation? Is it because of fear of participation? Or because there is a perception that participating will not matter or because they feel they are unworthy, that I am not so sure of.
“But I think we need to ask some questions, that is the reason for this outreach today. Another question to be taken into consideration is to ask what it takes for youth participation in politics; we have to look at funding, political parties and campaigns,” Karlsen said.
However, in a complex, difficult and unpredictable political terrain like ours; the signing of the ‘Not too young to run bill’ into law may offer a ray of hope; but it may just be one of several hurdles in the battle ground potential youths seeking electives position in the country have to cross to realise their ambition.
A youth leader and columnist, Wasiu Adeneye, writing recently on Nigerian youth’s participation in politics, lamented that the poor reading culture and little knowledge of the nation’s political history had contributed to the Nigerian youth’s low awareness and participation in politics.
Adeneye further blamed the poor education standard in the nation’s tertiary institutions and the inability of authorities of tertiary institutions to allow independent student union to exist which could serve as a platform where the youths could hone their leadership skills.
“Is laudable, age, in my opinion, has never been an encumbrance to youth participation in the nation’s politics. It is not enough to know that President Muhammadu Buhari is the president of the country and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is the vice-president. No! There must be a vivid awareness of the nation’s political history: how she came into existence, her battle with British colonialists before independence, her short-lived first, second and third republics; her long years of military rule and a potpourri of other issues that continue to shape her existence and the role of the youths in moulding her future.
“Unfortunately, information about these events is only available in bookshops and libraries, which makes it inaccessible to many youths due to their poor reading habit. In fact, only a few youths are interested in current happenings in the country as many youths loathe the idea of reading newspapers or listening to the news, not to talk of their interest in events that took place in the dim past,” Adeneye said.
“I also found out during my study that the Nigerian youth lacks veritable platforms to acquire and hone his leadership skills. In many of our universities, student unionism is frowned at; and where it exists, the leadership of the union is no more than the appendage of the school management. How then can the nation’s youths be sufficiently imbued with the right leadership skills to make them active participants in the nation’s politics when they study under regimented academic climate, where dissenting voices are stifled and contrary opinion are shouted down? But our universities’ administrators would have the nation believe that her future is in good hands with such unquestioning and politically inept products,” he further said.
A youth’s leader and Accord Party Chieftain (AP) Lanre Bamishile, applauded the signing of the bill into law, but added that Nigerian electoral system was more complex beyond age restriction.
“The law is welcome it would give more people chances, but it goes beyond that. Look at the political space in the country; you can see that it is highly monetised; how many youths can afford such money, except you have godfathers somewhere backing you. Even the parties, what we have are old people parading themselves as youths; they are not ready to leave; so these are my fears,” Bamishile said.
The Lagos State Chairmen of Advance Democratic Party (ADP) Adewale Bolaji, applauded the signing of the laws, but also noted that enough youths were not contesting for elective positions because of the monetisation of the electoral process and violence that is associated with elections in the country.
“The signing of the law is welcome; of course, Buhari does not have choice than to sign that bill into law, but if you look at it, is it just because of his second term bill that he is doing this. The youths are not coming out to participate in politics, you may say that is because of the monetisation of the electoral process and violence in the system over the years; I don’t blame them but we need to see them more,” Bolaji said.
Perhaps, the real change begins with a mental shift among Nigerians on the need to jettison the idea of being induced before they vote for a candidate during elections. There is also the urgent need for serious reforms in the political parties, to discourage ‘cash and carry politics’ allow internal democracy, which would give chances for youths to seek elective positions and emerge as candidate in the various political parties.
Iniobong Iwok
