Squeeze Older Generation Out of Office, Obasanjo Tells African Youths

Former Military Head of State and democratic president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has advised youths across to wrestle power out of the tight grips of the older generation.

Obasanjo who was delivering a keynote address at a virtual interactive session with youths to mark the 2020 International Youth Day, advised that affirmative be encapsulated in the constitution of political parties, as part of strategies to ease out old generation of leaders.

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The programme organised by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Oke – Mosan, Abeokuta, saw participants cutting across Nigeria, Mali, United States, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa in attendtan.

Obasanjo stated that unless the current set of old leaders were evicted from the stage, they would continue to occupy the leadership positions.

Obasanjo said: “Unless you squeeze out those who are in office and those who want to remain in office perpetually, some after the age of 80, they will not want to be out.

“The type of change I am talking about, that I believe we can all embark upon, is to subscribe into the constitution of political parties in favour of youth. Or if you like it, you call it affirmative action in favour of youths.

“For instance, if you say, in the constitution of a political party, not less than 50 per cent of those who hold executive office within the party will be less than 40 years of age.

“You’re just making sure that people that are 40 years of age will hold 50 per cent of executive office within the political party.

“You can even go beyond that and say that people who will be put up for election, not less than 50 per cent of them, will be less than 40 years of age. That’s affirmative action. That’s positive discrimination in favour of youths.

“I am saying this because if you leave it entirely for people to do it for you, nobody will do it for you. You have to do it for yourself.”