The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu's dreams of becoming Nigeria's next President come 2023, could be all but over following a recent statement by former military head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida, saying time is up for old folks who have been in power for years, but failed to move the country forward.
Speaking in response to Babangida's recent remarks during an interview with Arise TV, national president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, described Babangida's call as timely and commendable.
The AYCF said that the former president had spoken the minds of millions of Nigerians who had been quietly disturbed by “the political culture of recycling old, tired citizens as presidents of the nation,” saying this was partly responsible for the current stagnation afflicting the country.
The group said, “Former President IBB has proved that he is committed to genuine democracy and demonstrated patriotism with this proposition of injecting fresh blood into the democratic space of today’s Nigeria.
“We call on all elder statesmen to queue behind IBB for the good of this nation. “We are all aware that in terms of leadership/governance globally, the trend is having young, healthy and intellectually vibrant young people at the helm of affairs.
“We are calling on all political parties in the country to shun the culture of recycling old and incompetent candidates for the nation’s presidency because the youth will no longer support that dangerous trend anymore.”
The group explained that the era of having old people holding the reigns in Nigeria should belong to the past and “anyone who thinks this stagnation should continue should perish that negative thought.”
It said: “Going forward, the AYCF will never allow the recycling of old, weak and sick citizens as leaders of this nation, more so in a fast-changing and competitive world.
“Much as democracy gives everyone the right to contest for any elective office, it does not encourage the emergence of tired, weak, politically compromised, sick and overly unproductive persons as leaders of this modern society.”