Much ado about #NotTooYoungToRun

BY LAWAL TEMITAYO

The Nigerian federal lawmakers in the red and green chambers just concluded the constitution amendments process at their level. This crucial milestone in the long and protracted journey surely roiled controversies and induced mixed reactions from Nigerians, home and abroad.

The age requirement for those willing to be president was reduced from 40 to 35 and that to secure a seat in any of the lawmaking bodies at the house of representatives and state assemblies got amended to 25 up from 30. Those who desire to be governors or senators can now follow suit from the age of 30 as against 35, the status quo. If not anything, this is reflective of an effort to move the ladder to active political participation lower and within the reach of more Nigerians.

Commendable, you may say. However, considering the timing, speed and the queerness of some bills with which it was passed, it won’t be out of place to question the intentions behind it. Skeptics believe the bill together with the one of 35%  female reservation in political appointments and seats was just a form of tokenism, or say Greek gift to neutralise the potential agitations from quarters which would have otherwise fought other wild amendments. You know, more like a thief craftily giving the estate guard dinner as a replacement for the whistle. Regardless of the correctness of that claim, the bill, in isolation, will surely spark youth political activeness and engagements.

Having said that, it’s highly pertinent to ask some critical questions and magnify some serious concerns to contribute to and expand the scope of the discussions. We might want to know, even if for nothing but just its sake, how many young people had won party primaries talk less of contesting for the Aso Rock seat all while the qualifying age was 40? That’s probably too much to ask. How many young people could even secure the nomination forms?

I would wait like an owl chilling on an Iroko tree to get a name but it will be a sheer waste of time because nobody as young as 40 made it through. We should, therefore, ask ourselves if 35 is then the magic number, and rightly so. You see, the truth is this noble battle will be half won and useless if the real obstacle, expensive electoral process, remains as it is, unchanged. Our politicians have, over time, created an extremely expensive system that automatically cuts off competent patriots who really mean and will do well for the country but whose pockets are helplessly shallow.

This should, therefore, be the next and biggest mission, after the passage by the required state assemblies, if we really want to get it right. While the process is being worked on, a better and far reaching alternative will be the massive economic emancipation of youth. If not, it will just be an elitist cycle whereby those leading us would build empires on our treasury. Therefore, more budgetary allocations should go into education and other schemes that would liberate the young generation from mental and economic slavery. This will show their sincerity and seriousness and ultimately grow the youth populace of not just politically and intellectually savvy but economically vibrant.

Furthermore, it has to be expressly stated and, perhaps, belaboured a million times that being young doesn’t automatically mean some things. Being young is not same as being efficient. Youthfulness is not a benchmark for unshakable integrity. A young person is not necessarily a competent person.

There are, in fact, downsides to it. Exuberance is one of them. Emotional intelligence and flexibility in the face of frustrating, inescapable and deliberate obstacles is a travesty of what you’ll see in many youth. So then, it becomes really important to look out for the ones who can do the job efficiently and not just blindly support candidates by mere fact that they’re young. This is golden.

Lastly, I ‘d like to believe that the active proponents and, perhaps, the ambitious supporters of the bill understand very well the gargantuan efforts and deep commitments that go into the process.

In other words, they’re expected to give it what it takes and not stir up unnecessary sentiments and sympathy. It won’t work because we have long passed that stage. Competence is key. Also, we should not, with the veiled excuse of lobbying, romanticise old corrupt politicians or recycle their greedy values and backward principles. We should rather be vanguards of integrity, ingenuity and best practices. That’s only way the #NewNigeria we crave for us and our children can be guaranteed.