“Not too young to run:” Foundation charges political parties to reduce nomination fees

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Leaders of all political parties in the country have been charged to support the ‘Not too young to run’ law, by giving opportunity to the youths to represent their people in the 2019 general election.

The Executive Director, Prince Harrison Ehimiyen Foundation, Mr. Gabriel Benjamin, gave the charge on Wednesday, during an interview with journalists in Benin.

Benjamin who led scores of youths on an awareness campaign to the Edo State secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), called on political parties to reduce the nomination fees to enable interested youths who could not otherwise afford the high cost to run on their platforms.

He said many of the youths out there were ready to take the mantle of leadership from the present crop of political office holders of today.

“We are using the medium to reach out to the various political parties, to support the ‘Not too young to run’ bill that was recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The essence of this rally is to create the awareness that the youths be given the opportunity to represent the people at the various elective positions.

“Back in the 60s and 70s, many of our leaders today were youths like us and they were given the opportunity to represent their people. But these same persons are old but are being recycled today.

“There is a clarion call by all and sundry that we should give the youth the chance. A lot of us have the capacity, we have competence, we have character. A lot of our youths out there are ready to assume leadership.

“We want to use this medium to reach out to party officials, whether PDP or APC, that they should support youths across board and give them tickets to represent their people come 2019,” he said.

Benjamin disclosed that Prince Harrison Ehimiyen, the founder of the Foundation and Principal Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Petroleum, would be running for the House of Representatives come 2019, adding that he has the character, he has the courage, he has the competence, he has what it takes to