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Labour Party, Ndume commend Buhari, say Not-Too-Young-To-Run law will discourage thuggery among youths

By Terhemba Daka, Abuja
02 June 2018   |   4:24 am
The Labour Party (LP), yesterday, said the Not-Too-Young-To-Run law would reduce the rate youths are being used as thugs in politics and other criminal activities in the country.

Ndume

The Labour Party (LP), yesterday, said the Not-Too-Young-To-Run law would reduce the rate youths are being used as thugs in politics and other criminal activities in the country.

The party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the Act, assented to on Thursday by President Muhammadu Buhari is a good omen for the country’s democracy, especially coming at the time the older generation still in politics has “lost focus and were not IT compliant.”

“The signing was a good omen, it is a welcome development. It is in conformity with what is going on all over the world now.

“It will prevent many youths from being used as political thugs, cultists and being used for all kinds of vices in Nigeria.

“The youth are gradually taking over the political space. By what we have seen in other countries, the Nigerian youth can do fantastically well,” he said.

Abdulsalam said with the assent to the Act: “I expected Nigerian youth to be focused, to have vision and mission for Nigeria and for themselves. This will go a long way in curbing unwholesome activities among them.

“Like in our party now, we have two youths who have shown interest to pick our forms to contest for the presidency of this country. They are youths in their own disposition. So, it is a welcome development.”

On whether funding might hinder many interested youths from vying for the presidency, he said it was an attitudinal problem of Nigerian politicians, adding: “If not, there is certain amount of money that must be spent on every category of election, either the presidency or the senate.”

“But because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and now the All Progressives Congress (APC) have monetised all spheres of these categories, the whole things have been bastardised.

“I just pity the youth, even the women and the people living with disabilities. They are in these categories of money politics problem.’’

He, however, called for an amendment of the law towards ensuring strict compliance on the issue of funding, saying: “If not, nobody will go anywhere, not only the youth.”

In the same vein, Senator Ali Ndume urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the law and participate actively in the unfolding political events ahead of next year’s general elections.

Ndume, speaking yesterday after observing the Jumma’at prayer at the Aso Villa Mosque, advocated collaboration between the three arms of government, adding that they should not only be independent, but also interdependent.

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