Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for a generational shift in African leadership, urging countries to entrust key governance positions to younger citizens between the ages of 25 and 50.
He made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja at a memorial lecture and leadership conference organised by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation to commemorate 50 years since the assassination of former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed.
Addressing participants, Jonathan argued that Africa’s political systems should further lower age requirements for public office, building on Nigeria’s ‘Not Too Young to Run’ reforms. According to him, younger leaders are better equipped to handle the physical and mental strain associated with high office.
“I think we need to bring it lower. If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look at the age within 25 and 50,” he said.
“That is the way you can be very vibrant, physically strong, and mentally sound. If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can stay awake for 24 hours.”
Drawing comparisons with past leadership, Jonathan noted that Murtala Muhammed assumed office at 38 and implemented sweeping reforms within just 200 days, driven by a strong sense of purpose and national commitment.
He questioned existing constitutional age thresholds that require candidates to be at least 40 years old to contest for positions such as senator, governor, or deputy governor, with even higher limits for the presidency.
Reflecting on his own time in office, Jonathan said the demands of leadership are physically exhausting, particularly for older officials.
“When I was in office, I was older than that. Some days, I did not sleep up to two hours,” he said.
“So, if you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 percent of the time in the hospital.”
The former president also expressed concern over what he described as absentee governance, claiming that some state governors spend extended periods outside their states, either abroad or in Abuja, thereby weakening local administration and worsening security and development challenges.
