Money may deny youth elective offices in 2019 – Dogara

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has charged Nigerian youths not to rest on their oars if they really mean business about taking over power from the older generation in 2019.

He made the charge yesterday in Abuja during the celebration of the NotTooYoungToRun bill recently assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja.

Dogara said that the process of Nigerian youths taking over power in Nigeria was just at 60 per cent completion, adding that youths may be disappointed if they start relaxing; without preparing for power in the 2019 elections.

“The passing into law of the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill was a very difficult exercise but it is not over yet. The older politicians have been alerted to get ready to battle with the youths in 2019, so Nigerian youths have more demanding tasks ahead of them. They should get ready to fund their campaigns in 2019.

“They should not relax and think they have achieved the ultimate with the passage of the bill into law, because they just got started. The passage of the bill is just about 60 per cent of the entire work needed. So a lot still needs to be done. Politics in Nigeria involves spending money, so we need the support of our international partners. If we leave the youths now, financial requirements will prevent them from getting into elective offices.”

On his part, leader of the #NotTooYoungToRun movement, Samuel Itodo, said that political participation in Nigeria was a herculean task because many forces seem to be militating against youth governance in Nigeria.

“Our constitution is full of many social injustices. Why must it take ten years to amend a section of our constitution? Ours is a country where we don’t get anything due to us without complaining and fighting for it. Youths are neither recognized nor respected in this country, because they are not seen as partners by those in the corridors of power. In fact, our leaders become inaccessible once they are elected to represent us in government.

“Therefore, the #NotTooYoungToRun movement is a struggle to take back our country. We must align our values and not be value neutral. We must align our interest and put our resources together, because our intellect and numbers are our greatest strength,” he said.

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