Not Too Young to Run Protesters Shut Down National Assembly

Yesterday, Tuesday, July 25, thousands of Nigerian youths took to major streets in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to protest over the Not Too Young to Run bill. The youths are drawn from major youth groups in the country. The protest kicked off from the popular Unity Fountain and ended at the National Assembly.

This protest occurred following outcry over the alleged removal of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill in the Constitution Amendment Report which was laid on the floor of the House of Representatives Thursday. Speaker Yakubu Dogara, however assured Nigerians that the bill was not removed from the report which will be considered next week.

He also reaffirmed his support for youth inclusion in politics, saying the House will live up to the promise it made to do all within its powers to pass the Bill. “The young people should be informed that we made a promise and we will keep to our promise, by God’s grace,” Mr. Dogara said, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Turaki Hassan.

He made the remarks during plenary on Thursday, following a clarification on the matter by the chairman of the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Review of the Constitution, Deputy Speaker, Sulaimon Yussuf Lasun.
The deputy speaker had explained that speculations that the bill was removed at the retreat of the joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Review of the Constitution was false.

However, he further explained that though the Bill was retained, the title was changed, which could be the reason it was thought to have been expunged.

 

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