Senegalese president: Nigerian youths prefer being aides to old politicians, says Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), says Nigerian youths prefer being aides to old politicians instead of aspiring for top positions in the country.

Sowore spoke on Tuesday in an interview on Channels Television, while reacting to the swearing-in of Bassirou Faye as Senegal’s fifth president.

The 44-year-old Faye was sworn in on Tuesday at an exhibition centre in Diamniadio near Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

Faye defeated Amadou Ba, Senegal’s former prime minister, and won 54 percent of the votes cast in the March 24 presidential election.

Prior to the election, Faye was detained alongside Ousmane Sanko, his political mentor, who was accused of “defamation” among other offences.

They were released 10 days before the presidential election.

Speaking on the development, Sowore said Africans should not jubilate too soon over the election of Faye but wait to see the implications of his policies and programmes.

The AAC presidential candidate said the election of Faye has shown Nigerians the possibility of electing young and vibrant people.

He added that he has not seen the “clear aspirations” of young Nigerians to become the top leaders of their country.

“The question is: what are our young people doing? Our young people are doing what I call ‘tag along’. They are more interested in becoming special assistants to governors or senators,” he said.

“I’m not seeing that clear aspiration of our young people to go and become the leaders of our country.

“Most of the time, it is these young people who are pulling down the few young people who are courageous enough to say it is time to turn the corner.”

Sowore added that Nigerian youths should not hide their youthfulness under old people “who have no idea of how to even operate a phone”.

He urged Nigerian youths to “take power”, saying that power cannot be given through constitutional amendments.