COURSE NAME: INERTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

(GEN104)

SUBMITTED BY: HADIZA KABIR ABUBAKAR

ID NUMBER: BU/18C/BS/3291
SUBMITTED ON: 20TH FEBRUARY 2019
COURSE NAME: ENGLISH
TOPIC: NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN BILL (POSING
MOTION).

I believe that if you're old enough to vote, you're old enough to run
for office!
Why?
Today’s generation of young people is the largest the world has ever
known. Half of the global population is under 30, and yet 73% of
countries restrict young people from running for office, even though
they can vote.

Around the world, campaigns are underway to promote the rights of

young people running for public office by seeking to lower the legal
age of candidacy, and bring it into line with the age at which you can
vote.

We believe that young people deserve the same rights to run for
office and that age discrimination is a hindrance to full participation
and democracy.

In Nigeria, the #NotTooYoungtoRun campaign has embarked on a

mission to address age discrimination in candidacy for the legislative
and executive branches, and serves as inspiration for the global
campaign.

Nigeria’s president Buhari has signed a “Not Too Young To Run”

bill to reduce the age limits across political offices, including the
presidency. Buhari first confirmed plans to assent the bill on
Tuesday (May 29), during a national address to mark
“Democracy Day.” Passed by Nigerian lawmakers in July 2017,
the “Not Too Young To Run” bill will reduce the presidential age
limit from 40 to 35 and, for governorship positions, from 35 to
30. The move is timely too: polls show that Nigerians will prefer
to vote for a younger president during next year’s elections.
How?
Inspired by the Nigerian example, the Office of the UN Secretary-
General’s Envoy on Youth has initiated this global campaign in
partnership with UNDP, OHCHR, the IPU, YIAGA and the European
Youth Forum in order to convene existing efforts into a global
movement and provide young people with a central platform through
which to advocate.

Ante- marginalization and progressive youth’s contribution The

Nigerian youths are believed to be the most marginalized set of
people in thecountry whose duty is just to vote but not to be voted for
and subsequentactualization of the right to be voted for would be a
major contribution of the Bill.Also, Shehu Shagari a Federal
Legislator at 30, Richard Akinjide Minister ofEducation 32, Maitama
Sule Oil Minister 29, Audu Ogbeh Minister at 35 are

examples of prominent contributions of youths to Nigeria’s s

uccess story. The roles of the Nigerian Youth Movement cannot be
overlooked in Nigeria’s successful claim of independence. Indeed,
the youths are the hope of our today and you only need to look back
the roles played at last general elections to affirm this.

The success of the “Not Too Young To Run” campaign in Nigeria

caps a wave of youth-led advocacy across the continent
alongside campaigns such as #FeesMustFall in South Africa
and #DumsorMustStop in Ghana. And it’s not just a thing in Africa:
last year, Oxford Dictionaries picked “Youthquake”—defined as “a
significant cultural, political or social change arising from the
actions or influence of young people”—as the word of the year.