The Not Too Young To Run movement has reaffirmed its commitment for increase in the participation of youths, women and People With Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigerian political space.
The group said their inclusion would bring about a transformative politics and purposeful leadership, while reflecting on the movement’s successes and future prospects going into the next phase of Nigeria’s political dispensation.
The intervention of the group has led to the reduction in the age of running for the Presidency, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly from 40 to 35 years and from 35 to 25 years respectively, the leadership of the movement has vowed to mitigate any hinderance to increase youth representation in elective offices.
Samson Itodo, convener of the Not Too Young To Run movement said the organization is seeking to build a grassroots movement of 5 million young women, men and PWDs committed to promoting political inclusion, democratic rights, transformative politics and purposeful leadership.
In a bid to build the strategic capacity that the movement requires to drive its agenda, the movement will be opening and recruiting more organizers and leaders across Nigeria and some parts of Africa. This, according to the movement, would enable expansion to build international solidarity on political inclusion and transformative leadership across 25 African countries by 2023.
“To this end, the movement will be establishing Not Too Young To Run hubs across Nigeria. In 2020, the movement will create 100 hubs across the country. State Coordinators will be assigned new responsibilities in furtherance of this goal,” Itodo said.
While maintaining its non-partisan identity of a social movement committed to political inclusion and transformative politics and leadership, the movement remains driven by its core values of Solidarity, Patriotism, Inclusion, Responsible leadership, Integrity and Trust (SPIRIT).
Reflecting on the success of the movement, Itodo said the Not Too Young To Run movement has built power from within, which the government couldn’t ignore. He further said the historic assent to the age reduction bill not only disrupted the political space but has renewed hope and mobilized the positive energy of young people. The movement, according to him, has birthed other movements because the team demonstrated how effective organizing can be in achieving good results.
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