SENATOR JANG REACTS TO THE " BILL NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN" SENATE NOT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

- A Nigerian senator from the opposition party has reacted to agitations by youths to be given space in the political leadership of the country

- The senator said the youths cannot function well in the Senate but the House of Assembly is good for them

- The senator was reportedly berated over his comment by youths on social media

The senator representing Plateau-North senatorial district, Jonah David Jang, has said that the Senate is not for young people.

The former governor made the statement during a live radio programme on Friday, February 2, in Jos, Daily Trust reports.

Jang said: “The Senate is not for young people, only the House of Representatives is good enough.”

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However, many constituents of the senator on Saturday, February 3, allegedly took to social media to berate him over the comment and accused Jang of “once again attempting to play god.”

Jang’s opponents and constituents also reminded him of how such utterances and his “imposition” of a candidate led to the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2015 governorship election.

 Jigawa state House of Assembly passed the Not Too Young to Run bill barely 24 hours after the Bauchi state House of Assembly towed the same line.

Jigawa is now reportedly the 15th state that has passed the bill.

The Jigawa legislature passed nine of the 15 constitutional bills, transmitted to it by the National Assembly in the on-going constitution amendment process.

Meanwhile, as the 2019 general elections draw near, the federal government said it will open up the political space to young people  in the country.

Solomon Dalung, the minister of youth and sports development, stated this in New York while presenting a paper titled: The role of youth in building sustainable and resilient communities.

Dalung, who told participants at the seventh Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) youth forum at UN headquarters, said the youth were now asking the elders for a space to participate.

This was just as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed in a message to the event that young people are leaders of today, not just tomorrow.

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