Young people should be given leadership positions because they are more credible to take Nigeria to the desired height, according to the Speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Ayodele Obe.
In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, Obe said that Nigerian youths have the “highest level of resourcefulness and intellectual capability to govern a nation”.
“Youths have more resources to get things done faster, easier and more efficiently because they have more intellectual capacity and more energy which is needed in governance.
“This is a new age, the 21st century whereby everything the older generation have read in 60 years, today’s youth can read in one year and acquire the same knowledge because of access to information and knowledge,” he said.
He also claimed that youths had been denied full involvement in governance for too long.
He expressed the hope that the endorsement of the “Not too young to run” bill seeking to reduce eligibility ages by five years would bring the desired change in governance, according to The Herald.
”When you see 35-year-old [in] head offices they do well because they have vividly read and are versatile in our various fields of endeavour. There are many youths with a sound mindset to lead the country,” he said.
Obe also urged youths to be more actively involved in politics if they are interested in occupying positions in the coming elections, adding that social media campaigns would not be enough to get them sufficient recognition.
“Young people must begin to get involved in politics in the real process and not on social media.
“Be registered with a political party and align your thoughts with the party then you go down to your locality and align your good ideas with your people.
“Let them know and accept you so that during elections they can vote for you,” he said.
The ‘Not Too Young To Run Bill’ seeks to alter the Section 65, 106, 131, 177 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to reduce the age qualification for the office of the President from 40 years to 30 years; Governor 35 to 30, Senate 35 to 30.
The House of Representatives 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly 30 to 25.
The Bill also seeks to mainstream independent candidacy into Nigeria’s electoral process.
