2023: Group advocates below 60 years for presidential race

The North Central Progressives Group has advocated that the 2023 presidential race should be left to Nigerians below the age of 60 years.

Mr Benjamin Sanni, spokesman of the group said this at a conference on Tuesday in Abuja, adding that the future of the country was in the hands of the younger generation.

“We are saying that those below the age of 60 years should be giving a chance to rule the country.

“We can even bring it to 65 years, but ones you are above 60 years of age, you should be out of the business,” he said.

He noted that those, who held power before now, got there at an early age, including Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who became the country’s Military Head of State at an early age.

Sanni, however, said that there was need for the zoning principle to be followed to enable every region in the country take a shot at the presidency.

“It is only common sense that at this point in time, zoning is allowed to take full effect to avoid crippling things the more in the country,” he said.

He added that this would ensure equity in leadership distribution in the country, saying that the presidency and Vice President should be given to the North Central.

He said that this should be so because the region had not gotten the position of president or Vice President since the inception of democracy in the country.

He noted that the only position the region had got, was the Senate President, adding that it deserved to produce the country’s next president in 2023 because it was ready.

He stressed that sentiments should be pushed aside while every region of the country should be carried along for the sake of equity.

He added that the North Central had credible and capable leaders that had served the country well in other capacities.

He said such leaders could lead the country to higher heights and make her the envy of other countries with credible results.

`If we are truly all Nigerians, the presidency should be rotated among the six geopolitical regions,’’ he said.

Sanni further noted that the country’s presidency had been in the South and North region since 1999, adding that there was need to rotate the position to other regions.

The forum’s spokesman said that the North Central particularly, was being marginalised.