…won parties to shun recycled, old, incompetent candidates
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has described as timely and commendable the call by a former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, for youth to emerge as Nigeria’s president in 2023.
AYCF, in a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, on Friday noted that the former President has spoken the minds of millions of Nigerians who have 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 statement read: “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 cue behind IBB for the good of this nation.
“We’re 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’re 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.”
Shettima explained that the era of having old people holding the reins in Nigeria should belong to the past and “anyone who thinks this stagnation should continue, should perish that negative thought”.
The group, in the statement, then declared thus: “Going forward, the AYFC will never allow the recycling of old, weak and sick citizens as leaders of this nation, moreso 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”.