The Nigerian Senate has denied terminating the Not Too Young To Run bill which seeks to open up the space for more participation by youths in politics.
News about the killing of the bill, which has since become a global campaign, filtered into the Nigerian media in the course of the week with reports that the bill, after passing its 1st and 2nd readings, was not included in the final report that was considered and adopted by Nigerian lawmakers at the Lagos retreat of their Constitution Review Committee which held on 14 – 15 July 2017.
The implication of the removal of the bill in the final report simply meant that the bill will not be brought before the floor of both houses of the National Assembly for Nigerian lawmakers to debate and make their final decision on the bill, thereby truncating the full legislative process the bill rightly deserves.
The lawmakers, numbering 46 Senators and 49 House of Representatives members as well as the Speakers of the 36 States House of Assembly had unilaterally decided the fate of the bill at the level of their Constitution Review Committee, raising widespread concerns, condemnations and threats by youth groups and advocates to activate the recall of every member of the National Assembly that was complicit in the decision to terminate the bill at the Constitution Review Committee level of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
But in a statement on Saturday, the Nigerian Senate said the bill is still and has always been a part of the Constitution Review process.
“The #NotTooYoungToRun Bill was part of the Report that was laid on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, July 20th by the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
“As directed by the The President of The Senate Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the Nigerian Senate, at its plenary next week Tuesday, will begin consideration of all the Constitution Review Bills, this also includes the #NotToYoungToRunBill”, the statement said.
The clarification by the Senate hopefully puts to rest the public furore over news that the bill had been terminated.
Also, the Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has said he will do everything within his power to see that the bill sails through.
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