24 Nigerian states pass ‘Not too young to run’ bill

Twenty-four out of the 36 Nigerian state houses of assembly in the country have passed the ‘Not too young to run’ bill.

The bill, which is part of the process to amend the 1999 constitution,  seeks to reduce the minimum age requirement for elective positions in the country.

It was first passed by the senate and the house of representatives in July 2017.

The latest states to pass the bill are Plateau and Anambra states.

The Ondo state assembly was the first to pass the bill, other states followed closely, including Adamawa, Kwara, Benue, Nasarawa and Borno.

Delta, Enugu, Ekiti, Katsina, Yobe and Gombe also endorsed the bill.

A map reflecting the status of the bill in different states

In 2018, more state assemblies passed the bill, namely Bauchi, Jigawa, Ebonyi, and just recently, Kebbi and Akwa Ibom.

Others are, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, Ogun and Abia.

However, while Taraba state house of assembly voted against the bill, it is currently pending at eleven state assemblies, including Lagos, Oyo, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano and Edo, Bayelsa, Osun, Cross River, Imo and Rivers.

The bill seeks to reduce the age qualification for the office of the president from 40 years to 30 years; age for the office of a state governor from 35 to 30; senate from 35 to 30; house of representatives, from 30 to 25; and state house of assembly, from 30 to 25.