Former President Goodluck Jonathan has proposed a 50-year age ceiling for African presidents, calling on countries across the continent to deliberately promote younger leaders between the ages of 25 and 50.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the International Memorial Lecture and Leadership Conference marking the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, Gen Murtala Muhammed, Jonathan argued that younger leaders are better equipped physically and mentally for the demands of modern governance.
Reflecting on the pressures of leadership, the former President recalled that while in office, he sometimes slept for less than two hours in a 24-hour period, noting that advanced age could limit the ability to cope with the rigours of governance.
“Why do we begin to think that you must be a hundred years old before you can rule your country?” Jonathan asked.
Going by Jonathan’s proposal, President Bola Tinubu (73), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (79), Mr Peter Obi (64), Mr Rotimi Amaechi (60) and Malam Nasir El-Rufai (65), among others seeking political office, would fall outside the proposed age bracket.
Outside Nigeria, Cameroon’s Paul Biya is 92, Alassane Ouattara is 84, Paul Kagame of Rwanda is 68, and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda is 84, among others.
Only Ibrahim Traoré (Burkina Faso), Mahamat Deby (Chad), Assimi Goïta (Mali), Mamady Doumbouya (Guinea), Bassirou Faye (Senegal), Andry Rajoelina (Madagascar) and Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia are African leaders below 50 years.
Jonathan said leadership required stamina and resilience, arguing that younger leaders are better positioned to withstand intense demands.
“If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can stay awake for 24 hours. When I was in office, some days I did not sleep up to two hours. If you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 per cent of the time in hospital,” he said.
Jonathan aligned his position with the spirit of Nigeria’s “Not Too Young To Run” movement, which advocates lower age limits for elective offices and broader youth participation in politics.
“I have to reinforce the ‘Not-Too-Young To Run’ movement. We have to bring some of these age limits down. If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look within the 25 to 50 age bracket. That is when you can be very vibrant, physically strong and mentally sound,” he said.
He also criticised the practice of public officeholders spending extended periods outside their states or countries.
“In a country like the United States, some governors do not leave their states for four years. But here, some of our governors spend 50 per cent of their time outside. So who runs the state? Why will we not have security problems? Coming of age must transcend many things. First and foremost, we must have the discipline to manage ourselves,” he added.
Speaking on the legacy of late Gen Muhammed, Jonathan said the late leader proved that age was not a barrier to decisive and visionary leadership. Muhammed became Head of State at 38 and, despite ruling for only 200 days, left a lasting impact.
“General Murtala Muhammed assumed office at the very young age of 38. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound because he was driven by a clear, unyielding vision. His leadership sent a clear message: leadership was to serve the national interest, not personal ambition,” Jonathan said.
He also referenced Gen Yakubu Gowon, who became Head of State at 32 and later introduced the National Youth Service Corps.
“A young man of 32 managed to pull the country through the civil war. So why do we now think leadership must only come at old age?” he asked.
However, Jonathan cautioned that youth alone was insufficient without discipline, patriotism and strong institutions.
While praising Muhammed’s decisiveness, he stressed that democracy depended more on institutions than on individuals.
“Democracy requires vision rather than decree. It requires persuasion instead of command. It depends on institutions, not individuals. Above all, it requires respect for the rule of law and the willingness to submit power to the will of the people,” he said.
He urged African leaders to view governance as stewardship rather than entitlement and encouraged young people to see leadership as service.
“Young people must see leadership as service, not entitlement. Leaders must see governance as stewardship, not a right,” he said.
Jonathan added that leadership should be measured by impact rather than the length of time spent in office.
“As we mark 50 years of General Murtala Muhammed’s legacy, let us remember that leadership is not measured by how long you govern; it is measured by the courage to act decisively when the nation needs direction and by the impact you make on society,” he said.
He emphasised that while military leadership relies on command and authority, democratic governance must be anchored on strong institutions, credible electoral bodies, an independent judiciary, professional security agencies and accountable systems of governance.
“While General Murtala Muhammed symbolised decisive leadership, our democratic future depends on strong institutions. Democracy requires vision rather than decree. It requires persuasion instead of command. It depends on institutions, not individuals. Democracy also demands restraint and respect for the rule of law,” Jonathan said.
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