Mohammed Aliyu Gusau, the National Security Adviser who resigned Monday to contest the presidency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said yesterday that his decision does not amount to a betrayal of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr Gusau, 67, who was at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja to submit his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, said he still has a warm relationship with Mr Jonathan. He said the president gave him his blessings when he informed him of his intention to join the presidential race. "I have a very good relationship with Mr. President. Even yesterday, I talked with him before he left for the United States. That is democracy. I told him I have an ambition and he said yes, you can achieve your ambition by contesting, go and contest."

Age is no barrier

He faulted the arguments of those who say he is too old for the job, noting that the country needs a president with the capacity to deliver democracy dividends to its people and not necessarily a young person.

Mr. Gusau dismissed aspirants who anchor their campaigns on providing "generational shift", arguing that some of the world's best statesmen performed creditably well into their old age. He promised that he will do well at his age, if elected the president.

Role models

Mr Gusau said the presidency should not be reduced to a matter of age. "It is not a generational shift. It is the capability to deliver. If an old man is capable of delivering the goods, so let it be. Mohammed Ali, founder of modern Egypt, he was in his 80's when he developed Egypt to what it is up till now. The great miracle of China, the economic recovery, was initiated by a man of 87 years and it is the programme going. So, it is not the generational shift, it is the capability to deliver. Abdullahi Wade is in his mid 80's in Senegal and he is doing extremely well." He said he was ready to step down for whoever emerges as the consensus candidate of the north, adding that he does not know when the committee appointed to pick the consensus candidate will complete its work.

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