Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has given a useful piece of advice to the Nigerian youths and it will be better if they can make good use of it. Obasanjo who is not happy about the fact that some old politicians are still retaining themselves perpetually in power, even some at the age of 80, oyogist.com reports.
So, he charged the youths to take it upon themselves to peacefully send out this category of old politicians who are not ready to leave the political stage for others to come on board. Obasanjo said the youths should “squeeze” them out of politics.
But, this cannot be achieved by force, as a result, the former President asked the the youth to join politics. He said the youths can effect the necessary changes at the party level as members of that political parties.
According to Obasanjo, the youths in their respective politically parties can demand for affirmative actions.
He said they can demand, for example, that 50% of the party’s candidates must not be older than 40 years.
He urged the youths to participate actively in the activities of political parties to take over the structure from the old one by influencing the party constitution through demanding affirmative action.
Obasanjo, during a keynote address at a virtual interactive session held on Wednesday to mark the 2020 International Youths Day, said old politicians would continue to rule unless they are ‘sent out’ of the political stage, saying this is detrimental to the political career of the youths.
The programme, which was organized by the Youth Development Centre, drew participants from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Mali, USA and south Africa.
“Unless you squeeze out those who are in office and those who want to remain in office perpetually, some after the age of 80. Unless you squeeze them out they will not want to be out,” he said.
Obasanjo stressed further that if the youths leave it entirely for people to do it for them, they will not get it. He said, “nobody will do it for you. You have to do it for yourselves”.
