Jonathan says African countries should be led by people between 25 and 50 years old
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, has said African nations should give preference to people aged 25 to 50 for top governance positions, citing their superior physical strength, mental sharpness, and ability to endure the intense demands of office.
He disclosed this in Abuja at the memorial lecture and leadership conference organised by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the former head of state late Murtala Muhammed
Jonathan appealed for a further reduction in age barriers for political office beyond Nigeria’s existing ‘Not Too Young to Run’ reforms.
“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.
“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.”
Jonathan questioned rigid modern thresholds, where candidates must be at least 40 years old for roles like senator, deputy governor, or governor, and older for the presidency.
“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 was worried that some governors spend about 50 percent of their time abroad or in Abuja, leaving states unmanaged and contributing to persistent security and development challenges.
