Rivers LG Election: 19yrs Old Olubari Emerges APC Candidate Amid Age Limit Questions

By Peter Dansu  The political atmosphere in Rivers State was stirred on Tuesday when 19-year-old Miss Aaue Samuel Olubari was unveiled as th...

By Peter Dansu 

The political atmosphere in Rivers State was stirred on Tuesday when 19-year-old Miss Aaue Samuel Olubari was unveiled as the All Progressives Congress (APC) councillorship candidate for Bangha Ward 7 in Khana Local Government Area.

According to multiple netizens on social media platforms, Olubari, who is now the youngest candidate in the race for the forthcoming Rivers State local government elections, was officially presented to party stakeholders by the APC Chairman of Khana, Hon. Barile Ebenezer, during the party’s ward-to-ward sensitization campaign.

Youngest Councilorship candidate.

Ward 7, Khana LGA, Rivers State https://t.co/XG3OsvTHu9 pic.twitter.com/KQlcLf7alt

— Port Harcourt Socials (@PH_Socials) August 20, 2025

Breaking:

Meet the youngest Councilorship candidate.

She is Miss Samuel Olubari Aaue from Koro-Bangha and 19-Years Old

She will be representing ward 7 Khana LGA, Rivers State.

Wish her all the best.

Nyesom Ezenwo Wike - CON, GSSRS @GovWike support her all the way. pic.twitter.com/7pOHLAu27w

— Amb. Akin Akinleye (@SirAkinAkinleye) August 20, 2025

Her emergence drew applause from youths in the community, who hailed her candidacy as a symbol of hope and a fresh chapter for young people seeking a voice in grassroots politics. “This is a chance for us to show that the younger generation is ready to contribute to governance,” one supporter said.

However, her candidacy has raised constitutional concerns. Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates that a person must be at least 25 years old to contest for membership of a State House of Assembly, 30 years old for the House of Representatives, and 35 years old for the Senate and governorship. While the law is less explicit about local government elections, most states, including Rivers, align councillorship requirements with the minimum age of 25 years.

This has sparked questions about the legal validity of Olubari’s candidacy at just 19. Critics argue that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) must clarify whether her nomination complies with constitutional provisions.

Despite the controversy, her candidacy underscores the growing pressure for deeper youth inclusion in Nigerian politics, a movement strengthened by the “Not Too Young To Run” Act signed into law in 2018.

For now, Miss Olubari remains on the ballot, representing both a bold experiment in youth participation and a looming legal test for Nigeria’s electoral framework.