Former Nigeria’s president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has called on African youths dislodge older generation from leadership positions.
He advised the younger Africans to participate actively in politics and force out the older generation.
Obasanjo stated this while delivering a keynote address at a virtual interactive session, held to mark this year’s International Youth Day, organized by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
It had participants from Nigeria, Mali, USA, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa in attendance.
According to Obasanjo, unless the old people are forced out of the political stage, they would continue to occupy the political offices.
The former president said “Unless you squeeze out those who are in the 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.
“The type of change I am talking about, that I believe we can all embark upon is to subscribe to the constitution of political parties in favour of youths. 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.
“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.
Obasanjo also said that for youths to influence the political structure, they have to start at the party level.
