Renowned political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, has called for a generational shift in Nigeria’s leadership structure, suggesting that those seeking to become president or vice president should ideally be in their sixties, while ministers should be in their forties and fifties.
Utomi made the remark on Wednesday during an appearance on News Central Television while discussing the emerging political coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The former presidential aspirant, who is 69 years old, stated that he considers himself too old to serve in government and has made a personal vow not to seek political office beyond a certain age.
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“I’m 69 years old, and I now consider myself too old to be a cabinet minister,” Utomi said.
“I have given my children authority, that if by 75 years they heard I have gone to do some political meetings other than sitting at home and giving elders advice, they should immediately have me arrested and brought home because somehow I may have gone senile and not remember what I promised them.”
He emphasized the importance of giving the younger generation a fair opportunity to lead, warning that continued dominance by elderly politicians is detrimental to national progress.
“We should not have certain people of a certain age still running around. Yes, they may still be the most capable of people, but it’s not fair to the next generation,” Utomi added.
He concluded by urging older politicians to take on elder statesman roles and guide the younger generation instead of seeking power.
