By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said African leaders should not be more than 50 years old, stressing that the rigours of modern governance requires physical and mental energy and that younger leaders are better positioned to withstand the pressure.
Jonathan called for a generational shift in African leadership, urging countries across the continent to deliberately promote younger leaders between the ages of 25 and 50.
He stated this on Thursday, February 12, in Abuja at the International Memorial Lecture and Leadership Conference marking the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed.
The former president reflected on the demands of leadership, recalling that while in office, he sometimes had no more than two hours of sleep in 24 hours, stressing that advanced age can limit the capacity to cope with the pressures of governance.
He noted that leadership requires unusual stamina and resilience, arguing older leaders would end up spending 50 per cent of the time in hospitals due to the strain of leadership on their health.
“Why do we begin to think that you must be a hundred years old before you can rule your country?
“If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can stay awake for 24 hours. When I was in the office, some days, I did not sleep up to two hours. If you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 per cent of the time in hospital,” he said.
The former president cited Nigeria’s “Not Too Young To Run” movement, noting that the age requirement for elective offices should be lowered to encourage youth participation in politics.
“I have to reinforce the Not Too Young To Run movement. We have to bring some of these age limits down. If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look within the 25 to 50 age bracket. That is when you can be very vibrant, physically strong and mentally sound,” he said.
On the legacy of General Murtala Muhammed, Jonathan said the late leader demonstrated that age was not a barrier to decisive and visionary leadership.
He said, “General Murtala Muhammed assumed office at the very young age of 38. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound because he was driven by a clear, unyielding vision.
“His leadership sent a clear message: leadership was to serve the national interest, not personal ambition.”
Jonathan also referenced other Nigerian leaders who assumed office at relatively young ages, including General Yakubu Gowon, who became Head of State at 32 and later introduced the National Youth Service Corps, which remains in existence to this day.
“A young man of 32 managed to pull the country through the civil war. So why do we now think leadership must only come at old age?” he asked.
The former president, however, stressed that youth alone is insufficient without discipline, patriotism and strong institutions, noting that democracy depends more on institutions than on individuals.
“Democracy requires vision rather than decree. It requires persuasion instead of command. It depends on institutions, not individuals. Above all, it requires respect for the rule of law and the willingness to submit power to the will of the people,” he said.
Jonathan further called on Nigerians and Africans to draw lessons from history, stressing that leadership should be measured by impact rather than duration in office.
