The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for attempting to parade themselves as the architects of the ‘ Not Too Young to Run Act.’
The party said the bill was sponsored and pursued by the PDP members in the National Assembly and state houses of assembly.
The leading opposition party, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it was instructive to note that President Buhari had no input whatsoever in the bill.
“He never showed any support or enthusiasm towards the initiative and had no option than to perform a mandatory constitutional duty of assenting to the bill, as a clear reflection of the mood of the nation, given that the bill had already found an easy passage to the crucibles of the required approval of two-third of states in the federation,” the party said.
READ ALSO: Ekiti guber: Adeyeye’s defection’ll not affect PDP -Fayose
PDP said the development was indeed a democratic victory for the Nigerian youths over forces, particularly, the APC, that had hitherto disdained and disregarded them as lazy and inconsequential, but had to succumb to the dictates of the law and pressure by the youths and the PDP.
The party commended the sponsor of the bill, Hon. Tony Nwulu (PDP, Lagos), other legislators who supported the process and the resilience of the Nigerian youths in getting the initiative through, in line with the vision of the PDP to allow younger Nigerians to actively participate in elective positions in governance at all levels.
It said in preparation for the passage of the bill, the PDP had since launched our ‘Generation Next Movement’, which had already put younger Nigerians at vantage positions to participate in elective positions ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The party said the PDP, after winning in 2019, would further lower the age qualification to entrench the vision that ‘whoever can vote can be voted for’, which is a global standard.