Skip to main content

Married Underage Girls Not Adults, They Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Vote – Senator Olujimi

The lawmaker representing Ekiti South Constituency at the Senate, Biodun Olujimi, has kicked against the purported move to grant underaged married girls the right to vote.

The National Assembly Joint Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had reportedly recommended that young girls who are married should be given voting rights.


Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Kabiru Gaya, had said the recommendation is a unanimous decision by the joint panel.

Gaya had said, “The joint committee has proposed a review of the section of the Electoral Act that pegged the eligibility age of voters at 18 years.

“The joint committee has proposed that if a lady who is not up to 18 years is married, she should be considered to be mature enough and be eligible to vote.”

But in an interview with SaharaReporters on Thursday, Olujimi said it is better to stick to the minimum age (18 years) recognised by the Nigerian constitution rather than giving voting rights to underage married girls.

She said, “The fact that they are married does not make them adults. That is what I believe. Even if you get married at 13, you can’t be said to be an adult even though you have gone through some experiences for adults. We should stick to our minimum age which I believe is good for everyone.”

The Minority Leader at the Upper Chamber argued that maintaining the extant minimum voting age would discourage early marriage and prevent all the risks associated with it.

She said, “It will help us reduce Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) and all the problems associated with early marriages. We all know how dangerous it is, we all know how we risk the lives of our young ones when we take them too early. So, if they know they won’t be able to vote until they are of a particular age, maybe they will be patient enough to wait before they get married.”

The Senator, however, explained that the issue had not been debated during plenary, saying, “It’s one of those side comments about the amendment of the constitution. It wasn’t debated, I was on the floor and I have not heard that. I also want to take it as one of those debates going on so that people can amend the constitution but right now, we have not deliberated on it.”

Politics

News

AddThis

Original Author

SaharaReporters, New York

Disable advertisements

from 24HRSNEWS
via 24HRSNEWS



from EDUPEDIA247https://ift.tt/37M3ArG
via EDUPEDIA

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The beautiful model Christina Evangeline: age, ethnicity, net worth, husband, baby

The art of modelling is more than merely putting on designer clothes and hitting the runway. It requires a lot of effort, self-care, determination, and an energetic spirit. Christina Evangeline, who is very attractive and beautiful, is a model who dedicated all her energy into this esteemed career. Fame and plenty of public attention came with her job, and she continues to show young women that success does not come overnight. It requires hard work and passion! Image: instagram.com, @yoevangeline Source: Instagram Who is Christina Evangeline ? According to the Christina Evangeline biography, she is a model who is best known for being Kenan Thompson’s wife. Christina was born on the 24th of March 1989 in the United States of America. Currently, Christina Evangeline age is 30 years. Her nationality is American, and she identifies herself as a Christian. Christina Evangeline ethnicity is White, and her Zodiac sign is Aries. Christina Evangeline race is Caucasian. Details of her paren...

Former Maritime Agency Boss, Buba Galadima, Accuses AMCON Of Witch-hunt After Property Takeover

  A former Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Agency, Buba Galadima, has accused the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria of witch-hunt after the agency took possession of his business and assets on Tuesday in Abuja. Galadima, an ardent critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, claimed that he did not borrow money or have unpaid debt with Unity Bank, which lodged a complaint against him and occasioned AMCON’s move on Tuesday. The properties taken over include House No. 15, Addis Ababa Crescent, Wuse Zone 4, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and House No. 4, Bangui Street, Wuse 2, also in Abuja.  Reacting to the situation, Galadima said, “This is an attempt to disgrace and break me down. This is injustice and an attempt to humiliate me. "But I am unbreakable and they can never silence me. They sacked me and over 50 people that sleep in the apartment. "We don’t know where to go. We will remain on the streets. We will remain on the streets until God provi...

Learn how to clean washing machine in a surprisingly easy way

All machines can break down one day, and your washing machine is no exception. Knowing how to clean washing machine timely and effectively will help you reduce or even avoid additional expenses on servicing. Right now, you will be surprised to discover how easy it is! You do not even need any additional devices to do this except the ones that you already have in your house! Image: pexels.com Source: UGC A washing machine is an essential device in a modern home, but it has its own temper and demands! It reacts to the softness of water and quality of detergents that you use. In separate cases, the frequency and intensiveness of washing cycles can play their part. Now, it is time to discover several simple and cheap methods of cleaning of the essential parts of your little helper, to remove unpleasant odours, mould, and scale. The most important tips: how to clean washing machine How often is it necessary to do this cleaning? What do you think? Specialists insist on once in ...