An activist, Deji Adeyanju, has warned Nigerians against electing either former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in 2023 as a successor to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
Adeyanju said Nigerians should be wary of the major political parties in the country, declaring that Atiku, who is a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Tinubu are not good presidential candidates.
He spoke during a live interview with PUNCH Online on Monday.
The activist, therefore, called on young Nigerians to mobilise themselves to take over positions of power in 2023.
Adeyanju, who is the Co-Convener of Concerned Nigerians, said Nigeria would not develop without the active participation of the youths in politics.
According to him, “There are no messiahs anywhere, Nigeria should stop looking for a messiah. At this stage, we should not be talking about the generations of Atiku, Buhari, Tinubu.
“Atiku and Tinubu are not good presidential candidates. They are not. And if they will be sincere to themselves, they know this.
“Citizens must come together to say that we have had enough of these guys. Things must be done differently. People should register aggressively ahead of the 2023 election.”
But Adeyanju, who was asked about older persons becoming the Presidents of the United States said, “America is working. You cannot bring the concept of America into Nigeria. Look at Joe Biden – this is someone who has dedicated his life to service. You cannot bring the American dynamics to Nigeria. America is a working system. It is a country where they have strong institutions.
“Here in Nigeria, the president is more powerful than the court, constitution. Juxtaposing the two societies will not be fair.”
The activist, however, warned young Nigerians against being adamant about contesting the nation’s presidency.
“We (young people) cannot do it by saying that we want to be president. We can start with having 30 young people in the National Assembly who are ready to make a difference,” he said.