Not Too Young To Run Act: A humorous law, has no constitutional backing, lawyer Uwazurike claims

A prominent Lagos based lawyer and Ohanaeze Ndigbo chieftain, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, has punctured the Not too Young to Run bill signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

Chief Uwazurike, former President of Aka Ikenga and erstwhile constituent assembly member, said that the bill “may just be a humorous law, describing it as “null and void” for supposedly lacking backing of the constitution.

President Buhari had on Thursday assented to the bill which reduced the age of those eligible to contest for the presidency from 40 to 30 years, while that of governorship is now 30, from 35years.

The bill also reduced the 30 years age stipulation to contest for senatorial and states House of Assembly positions to 25 years.

But in a post on his Facebook wall Uwazurike wrote:

“The recently enacted Not too young to run act may be just a humorous law.

“This is because the constitution of Nigeria clearly states the age qualifications for the offices of the president, governors, Senators, members of the Houses of Representatives, assembly etc. For example, section 106 (b) states that he has attained the age of 30.

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“Section 131(b) states that a presidential candidate shall be at least 40 years. A mere act cannot amend the constitution. The only remedy is the amendment of the Constitution.

“As a matter of fact, any law that is inconsistent with the constitution is null and void to the extent of the inconsistency.

“The constitution is the supreme law and all laws whether existing or new must allign with it. I am puzzled as to the hysteria when it is only all motion and no movement,” he said.

 

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