2023: We won’t vote presidential candidates above 55 years, says youth group

The Nigerian Youth Collective Action (NYCA), a socio-political group, has asked youths across the country to shun presidential candidates that are above 55 years old.

Speaking on Thursday after a two-day interactive session on the 2023 presidential election, the group said the essence of the “Not Too Young To Run” law signed by President Muhammadu Buhari is to ensure a generational shift in leadership in the next general election.

In a communique read by Oluseyi Ogunrinde, southwest coordinator of NYCA, the group further noted that the high cost of nomination forms and emergence of “old politicians” as presidential candidates will block opportunities for young people.

“The session recognises that Nigeria is a country with more than 70% of its population below the age of 50 years. And that the youthfulness fuels
a huge energy capable of delivering sustainable prosperity to the over 200 million Nigerians if well harnessed and rightly targeted,” the group said.

“The whole essence of the “Not Too Young To Run” agitation and the successful passage of the bill into law was to have a generational leadership change and we applaud the commitment of the President Buhari administration, in this regard.

“We condemn in strong terms, the failure of some political parties to follow the demands of the Nigerian youth for a generational shift in leadership and their subsequent selection of old candidates, some close to 80 years old, for the next presidential election.

“Nigerian youths will not vote political parties that field candidates that are above 55 years of age as their presidential candidates. One of the major things causing problems in this country today is because many old people, who are not in tune with the current global governance practices, are in charge of our national affairs, hence the need for a young generation of leaders come 2023.”

The group added that it will mobilise youths across the country to vote for political parties that field only young candidates, especially in the presidential election.