2023: “Age Not A Barrier”, Aide Replies Makinde On Atiku Being ‘Too Old’

• 2023: “Age Not A Barrier”, Aide Replies Makinde On Atiku Being ‘Too Old’

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Paul Ibe, media aide of former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, says age has nothing to do with leadership and that in line with the popular saying, his principal is a “fine wine that gets better with age”.

Ibe was reacting to a statement made by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who on Tuesday warned Nigerians against electing persons above 70 years. Atiku is 75 years old.

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Makinde, who spoke in Ibadan during the 65th birthday anniversary and thanksgiving service of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Supo Ayokunle, advised Nigerians to vote for a younger person.

Citing former United States President, Donald Trump, and the incumbent, Joe Biden, who are both over 70 years as examples, Ibe said experience, capacity and competence should be considered, noting that some young political leaders had performed below expectation.

Ibe said according to Punch on Saturday: “The governor should know that age is not a measure of leadership. We have seen governors and leaders at different levels who are young but have not done well. They may have energy but it is directed in the wrong direction.

“Leadership is a mix of experience, capacity and competence. Look at some of our governors who are young and establish for yourself what they have done with the opportunity they were given, so I think that’s a wrong way to look at it.

“Nigeria is facing an existential threat of insecurity, an economy that is not working for the average Nigerian, joblessness and other challenges. As a stakeholder, he (Makinde) should know better. If you are going for a critical football game, for example, you go with your best and not with players with broken legs.

“At the point we are now, we have all acknowledged that we face serious challenges. We need the kind of leadership that can get us out of this situation. If that is the case, we should be looking for someone that can deliver on all those fronts.”

According to Ibe, Nigeria needs a leader who is able to bring people together and a detribalised Nigerian who understands the issues at hand.

“That is the kind of person we are looking for and those are the conversations we should be having,” he added. “Age should not be a barrier. In Malaysia, they had a president, who, after he had retired, was elected at about 92 years to come and clean the mess that had been made.”

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