- Nigeria keeps recycling ageing leaders despite a very young population
- Poor succession planning is weakening governance
- Youths are excluded from real political power
- Leadership needs strength, clarity, and mental alertness
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former spokesman to Atiku Abubakar, Segun Sowunmi, has warned that Nigeria’s presidency increasingly resembles a sickbay for elderly politicians, blaming years of poor succession planning and the exclusion of young people from leadership.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the inauguration of chairmen of the National Youth Alliance (NYA) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sowunmi said Nigeria is paying a heavy price for repeatedly handing power to leaders whose age limits their effectiveness.
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He recalled painful moments in the country’s history, including the death of a sitting president and another who spent a large part of his tenure receiving medical care abroad.
“For some time now, our presidential office has almost appeared as if it is a sickbay for old people,” Sowunmi said.
He referenced the late President Musa Yar’Adua, who died in office, and former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he described as well-intentioned but physically overwhelmed by age.
“The late President Buhari was a good man, but he was too old,” he stated.
Sowunmi argued that while experience is important, leadership also demands physical energy, courage, and mental alertness, especially in a country facing serious economic and security challenges.
According to him, many of the mistakes seen in governance today are linked to declining agility at the top.
“Even when you have the brains, there is a time you also need the muscles,” he said.
“Every administrative mistake we see today can be traced to the fact that agility is no longer what it used to be.”
He stressed that Nigeria’s reality makes youth inclusion unavoidable, noting that with a median age of about 18, the nation’s future cannot continue to be shaped by leaders unwilling to prepare the next generation.
Sowunmi urged young Nigerians to rise above ethnic and religious divisions, pointing out that poverty and privilege cut across all tribes and faiths.
Also speaking at the event, former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, challenged youths to focus on integrity, competence, and trust-building.
She said Nigeria’s leadership crisis is not due to a lack of capable people but because weak systems continue to reward mediocrity.
“The system has failed because leadership has failed,” Aliyu said.
“Systems do not run themselves; people run them.”
Earlier, NYA President, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, criticised politicians who engage youths only during elections and abandon them afterward, describing the practice as unacceptable.