By Jubril Bada
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Members of the Not Too Young To Run Movement, Ondo State chapter have called on all political parties to limit nomination fees for youths and conduct transparent direct party primaries into all elective offices.

These are parts of the demands made by the group movement during their organised match to secretariats of some political parties across the federation to press home their demands for the inclusion of youths to contest for political offices under the platforms of political parties in the country.

The parties visited at their various secretariats by the movement in the state include the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC).

It would be recalled that following efforts and contributions on the Not Too Young To Run campaign, the Nigerian constitution was amended to reduce the age for running for elective offices in Nigeria.

Members of the movement had their placards displayed with inscriptions such as “No to under representation of women and persons with disability, No level playing field, no youth votes and Not too young to run discovers over 60 million Nigerian youths ” among others

In his address, the State Coordinator of the movement, Mr. Jonathan Obatola, appealed to the political parties in the state to make at least 30 per cent of elective offices into the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate available for  youths to contest.

Obatola, who told the political parties of the available 176 seats at the Houses of Assembly in the Southwest urged them not to disappoint youths in ensuring that youths are considered favourably for elective positions in  future elections

Speaking, the State Chairman of APC , Mr. Ade Adetimehin, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Agabra Atili, commended the members of the movement at for their moves to ensure youths are considered for the elective positions among the political parties.

He assured the members of the movement the support of the party to ensure youths are given elective offices to contest in the party.

Adetimehin, who assured that all the demands of the movement will be given attention said with the ideology of the party, free and fair primaries will be conducted.

Also, the State Coordinator of the ADC, Hon. Demola ljabiyi, said the ADC is a special party with good policy in the allocation of elective positions to youths, women and men.

On its part, the State Chairman of the SDP, Chief Korede Duyile, assured members of the movement of the party’s saying his party is with good ideology and do not believe in parading mediocres.

Duyile assured them to forward the request of the movement to the national level of the party for consideration.

He suggested the combination of youths and elders in politics as one of the solutions to the challenges facing the country.