Nigeria Wants 25 Year Olds to Run for Political Office

25 year old young Nigerians will be able to run for a political office if there is success in altering some portions of the current constitution.

Currently, to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives of the State House Assembly, you must be age 30 years.

According to Yakubu Dogara, the speaker of the lower house of the country’s law-making chamber, lawmakers were committed to passing the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill to lower age requirements for elective offices.

He said the Legislative Agenda gives priority to necessary legislative interventions to promote equality and inclusion, and entrench the rights of women, youths and vulnerable groups in the society.

"We committed ourselves in our Legislative Agenda to give priority to – necessary legislative interventions to promote equality and inclusion, and entrench the rights of women, youths and vulnerable groups in the society," said Yakubu Dogara at a plenary session of the country’s youth parliament in the capital Abuja on Wednesday.

For the 25 year olds to be in political office, Nigeria has to alter sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the 1999 Constitution. The altering will also see the introduction of independent candidacy to the electoral process.

If the amendments scale through, a 30 to 40 year old can be president while a 35 to 40 year old can be governor or senator bringing in creativity and innovation of the youths.