By Salim Yunusa
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Middle Belt Forum (MBF), and Afenifere have reacted to the comment by a former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), that the next President of Nigeria should be less than 70 years and that the country’s corruption index is worse now than what it was when he was Nigeria’s military ruler.
While the ACF backed Babangida’s position on the next president’s age limit, the MBF also supported the country’s former military leader that corruption was less during his regime than now.
On its part, the pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has also backed the former military president’s position on the age of the next president, citing the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo; and Chief Ladoke Akintola, who were in their 50s and 40s when they became premiers of the Western Region.
Afenifere also cited the cases of the former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama of the United States, who mounted the saddle when they were not up to 60 years of age.
The socio-political group, however, argued that a president’s performance does not depend on his age but his vision and the country’s political structure.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspaper, to mark his 80th birthday, Babangida had recommended that the next president would be in his 60s.
Babangida said the presidential hopefuls in 2023 should be persons in their 60s with contacts across the nation and who had been traversing the geo-political zones, marketing their acceptability and capacity.
Also reacting to the allegation that corruption was very pervasive during his administration, Babangida had stated that: “You can’t compare it with the facts on the ground now. From what I read, from analyses, I think we are saints when compared to what it is under a democratic dispensation.
“I sacked a governor of a state for misappropriating less than N313,000. Today, those who have stolen billions and are in court are now parading themselves on the streets. Who else is better in fighting corruption?” he queried.
In his interview with THISDAY, the President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, backed Babangida, stressing that corruption is worse now than during the regime of the former military ruler.
However, on the issue of the age limit for the next president, Pogu said the next president should be a detribalised Nigerian, irrespective of his age.
“The elder statesman has spoken very well. But I think we should just allow Nigerians to make their choice. I am saying this because when people of the standing of IBB start to shape the thinking of Nigerians, then we may fall into a trap. But let’s wait and see what Nigerians want.
“Certainly, we have seen elderly people that have performed wonderfully. I can confidently say that Olusegun Obasanjo while he was in office was over 70, but he performed wonderfully well.
“He wakes up very early, has his squash, and prepares for the day ahead. Some young people were not even his match.
“So, all these things depend on the person’s well-being, sound mind, and mindset.
“What’s important is that our President in 2023 should be of detribalised character; a true Nigerian, not some kind of ethnic or religious bigots. The person should be someone that believes in Nigeria, and sees himself first as a Nigerian, not someone that looks away when his people are committing a heinous crime, and then punish others when they commit a lesser crime. We want someone who has good health and capacity to lead Nigerians,” he explained.
Reacting to Babangida’s claim on corruption, Pogu said: “To some extent, I agree with IBB that corruption has taken over subsequent administrations, especially the current administration. When the current administration came in, they had accused Goodluck Jonathan’s administration of being corrupt, but what we see today is so terrible. What we see is the direct opposite of the promises they made to us as Nigerians. So, IBB is correct to say there has been deterioration from the time he left the government.
“We have been shouting ‘Abacha Loots’, but Abacha was a saint compared to what we see today. Abacha, to me was a wonderful leader; a leader who despite all the sanctions was able to maintain the value of the Naira, made things work, and beat the Western economy to their game,” Pogu added.
He also urged the National Assembly to re-visit the issue of electronic transmission of election results.
The Middle Belt leader also called on INEC to work on their card readers and make them functional for the elections.
The ACF also endorsed the suggestion by the former military president on the age limit of the next president.
In an interview with THISDAY, the spokesman of the forum, Mr. Emmanuel Yawe said the suggestion for the younger generation to take over the leadership of the country should not be discarded.
Yawe, who did not comment on Babangida’s corruption claim, noted that he is an experienced military President, having ruled the country for eight years, stressing that whatever he suggests is for the good of the country.
Yawe said the ACF holds Babangida in very high esteem and urged Nigerians to take his ideas seriously.
“We believe his suggestion that Nigerians of a younger generation should take over the presidency is worthwhile. This is the digital age and all over the world, it is the trend.
“IBB is an experienced military politician who ruled this country for eight years as the one and only military president. Additionally, he is one of the patrons of ACF.
“Whatever he suggests for this country we believe is for the good of the country, he is also a man imbued with patriotic ideas.
“We hold him in ACF in very high esteem and we urge Nigerians to take his ideas seriously”, the ACF spokesman explained.
Meanwhile, the pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has also supported the idea of a youthful president, citing the case of Awolowo and Akintola, pointing out, however that a president’s performance does not depend on his age but his vision and the country’s political structure.
Afenifere also cited the cases of the former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama of the United States, who mounted the saddle when they were not up to 60 years of age.
The organisation, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi, said the crisis in Nigeria’s leadership and governance is not that of the age of the person in charge but rather with the political template on which the country is operating and the kind of vision that the person brings into the office.
According to him, “To us in Afenifere, the way Nigeria political template is structured, hardly can any person in a leadership position of the country achieve much.
“This is why we are clamouring for the immediate restructuring of the country – a restructured federation in which each constituent unit is in control of most of its affairs, including the resources within its jurisdiction – a restructured federation that allows institutions to operate freely as enshrined in the laws that established them.
“The importance of this could be seen in how the attempt by the former President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump, was successfully checked.
“We have seen situations where relatively young people performed excellently just as there were instances where they failed woefully. The same can be said for people above 60 who held top political posts.
“Examples that can be cited among the first category include our own late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Ladoke Akintola, to mention a few. They were in their 40s and under 50s when they respectively served as premiers of the Western Region. The legacies of the successes they recorded are still there today.
“As at the time former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama respectively mounted the saddle in America, they were not up to 60 years of age.
“Again, here in Nigeria, we have young people among the state governors who are trying to excel just as we have those who are a disappointment. Ditto for some among them who are in their 60s or above.
“So, in a nutshell, it is not the age per se, but the structure and vision as well as the character of the person that determines whether or not he will govern well.”
