When campaigns for the 2015 presidential elections rolled out, the PDP were not only looking for President Buhari’s certificate, they also unsuccessfully cited his age as a disadvantage to presidential leadership.

Some people argued that it was sheer hypocrisy to describe Muhammadu Buhari’s age as a disadvantage given that Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe were both septuagenarians when they pursued their presidential ambitions in the second republic (aborted by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari) and yet no one described them as unfit because of age.

While they may have had valid arguments, they never actually appreciated the fact that old age naturally comes with its own unavoidable conundrums, which the rigor of the highest office in the land can only complicate.

Fears the PDP uttered during the campaigns were confirmed when just a few days after swearing-in, Muhammadu Buhari began to wish he was younger, while lamenting about all the goodies he could have provided for Nigerians if he had the gift of youth with him.

Beyond the arguments, what has been most wondrous to me is the fact that Muhammadu Buhari, a retired dictator can come back 30 years after being ousted from a coupe and remain politically appealing and electable to Nigerians, a nation where nearly 60% of its citizens are less than 30 years old. It is this disaster that I’m yet to understand.

It was Nasiru El-Rufi who in 2010, while still suckling the milk and honey the PDP was providing, told us that Muhammadu Buhari was perpetually unelectable because of his age, ask the same man today (who is the De-facto Vice President of Nigeria) about his opinions in the past and he’ll tell you that Saint Buhari is the best thing that ever happened to us.

One way to assess issues that have made this factor possible would be from the perspective that generally, young people in today’s Nigeria have been raised to revere and defer to older ones. Our cultural systems promote these values so much so that if a man or woman has grey hair, we naturally attach wisdom/competence to him/her.

But the truth is that these cultural norms existed even in stronger forms when in 1953, 30 year old Anthony Eremosele Enahoro moved the motion for independence, M.T. Mbu was foreign affairs minister at age 26, 30 year old Kaduna Nzogwo and Co staged a coup and a 31 year old bachelor, Yakubu Gowon became head of state in 1966, just to name a few.

So why didn’t the value systems stop them in those years, it is simple, they lived in a Nigeria where for young people, principles and merit came before money and there was a higher sense of love for timeless achievements and legacies. Another undeniable factor is that over 4 decades ago, there were fewer well trained and educated Nigerians who could take up leadership positions in public and private sector so they had the best opportunities thrown at them early enough.

Another perspective is that as far as anyone can remember, the political elite devised the best ways to remain perpetually important in Nigeria. The broad strategy was to make sure that upcoming young people had less access to good education and skills and were dependent on them for social-political recognition and economic value. They God-fathered us in public and private life and went ahead to create all forms of ethno-religious distractions that ensure young Nigerians are never united enough to have a collective fighting chance, rather the daggers are drawn between us.

To seal it up, they amended constitutional provisions that would have made it natural for young Nigerians to aspire to top leadership positions in good time, a system that would have enhanced our leadership grooming and recruitment processes.

As a 28 year old Nigerian today, if I wish to represent my people at the state house of assembly, I will have to wait for at least two more years, if I want to be governor of my dear state, my waiting period will be for 7 years at least, in a society where most of the people I wish to serve are almost my age mates, yet are hounded by old men.

The ironic thing is that at age 30 my father represented Abakaliki region at the 1977 constituent assembly and he wasn’t the youngest delegate. If 30 year olds could once upon a time draft our nation’s number one document – The Constitution, then why is it illegal today for me to represent my people at age 28.

The fact that Muhammadu Buhari is president of Nigeria at age 73 is the worst indictment on us young people of Nigeria. It is a reflection of how docile we’ve become, choosing more distractions in every field we currently handle. Choosing to react to our society by going aloof with the easiest band wagon available, with little or no scrutiny, instead of responding to our issues.

Choosing to help build a society where there are more churches and mosques than factories because we imagine God has a quick fix antidote for the problems we have caused for ourselves. Choosing to hate and kill each other because some old men have some peanuts to offer.

I’m quite sure that Muhammadu Buhari is the last ‘grandpa president’ to be elected in Nigeria for a long while because his change is indeed affecting us. For the first time in Nigeria, young people are learning how to become tired of old leaders, especially those purported all-problem-solving-messiahs. The best Mr. President can get is a second tenure and if the PDP is to have a chance in 2019, a relatively young flag bearer must be fielded.

It’s not because we Nigerian youths have all of a sudden become more principled, but simply because the time when old age could easily be sold to us as a reflection of better wisdom and leadership capabilities is dying. It may not be as fast as desired but is a trend whose time has finally come.

In the average young Nigerian, there is a deep yearning for love and understanding from our leaders in every sector and the so called tested and trusted senior citizens no longer convincingly paint the picture of a loving answer/solution.

The best these baby boomers have done for us is to judge and condemn us, constantly reminding us of our faults and flaws (which they exploit for selfish reasons), always talking about how incapable, ill trained and ill mannered we are and how they had already achieved more by our age. They go ahead and blame us for problems they caused even before we were born and curse and tag us as the problem with Nigeria, as if without us there would be any Nigeria to rule.

When it comes to leadership, they tell us to be patient and take things slowly, so that they may have enough time to recycle themselves. They curse our impatience out of fear because they realize how powerful it is, because its making us tired of their old people’s lies and antics.

It was the same impatience that enabled Muhammadu Buhari and the APC gain the support of millions of young Nigerians on their journey to Asorock. But it is the last chance that has been given and as at today, he is squandering it for leaders of his generation — the truly failed generation as former president Goodluck Jonathan once described.

Muhammadu Buhari has used up the last ticket available for grand fathers in Nigerian politics and the reality of this bitter pill will be felt in 2019. The Nigerian youth can and will make a venomous impact when the time comes, but there is a lot of work to be done amongst us.

We must stop hating each other and rather hate the people that have trapped us. We must stop barking only on social media and come out to the streets bark at those incompetent old men. We must become more self aware from within and stop defining our lives by the ethnicity, religion and tribe bequeathed upon us at birth and while growing up by these old people and start defining our lives by the timeless values, goals and desires we wish to achieve.

Finally, we must unite as young people of Nigeria and understand that we are endangered species, that diversity is a gift and not a curse, that oneness is not about sameness, that left does not become wrong just because right is right, that if you disagree with a man, you mustn’t fear or hate him; and if you love a man, you mustn’t agree with him always. Today it is Muhammadu Buhari’s turn, tomorrow it must be ours.
http://www.mybeautifulnigeria.com/muhammadu-buhari-the-last-grandfather-to-rule-nigeria/

will b waiting

Will all the unpartisan detribalised Nigerian Youth please stand up!

ah GOd ! I refuse to be a wailer
the man goan rule ur sorry assses 2019

buharisbae:
ah GOd ! I refuse to be a wailer

the man goan rule ur sorry assses 2019

by then you will be fully zombielized

erusen:
by then you will be fully zombielized

I Dont mind as long I'm not be a frustrated wailer like you na tufia!

buharisbae:


I Dont mind as long I'm not be a frustrated wailer like you na tufia!

frustrated?, really b*tch.I don't think so,there is no frustrated in wailing,we make converts everyday,people are afraid to sai buhari in the streets to tell you our numbers are increasing,ask people if they are comfortable in their present situation ,the resounding answer is NO,so u see its only zombies that suffer and smile