Barr. Solomon Dalong, a former Minister of Sports, has advised lawmakers above the age of 65 not to run for any governmental office in 2023.
Dalung, who was a member of Buhari’s first cabinet, believes Nigeria today requires a bright and energetic leader.
He spoke while accompanying Prince Adewole Adebayo, the founder of the famed Abuja-based King Adebayo Film and Theatre Arts Network Television, who officially proclaimed his ambition to compete for the president of Nigeria in 2023.
Earlier in his speech, Adebayo referred to President Muhammadu Buhari as “the final card of the political elite” that has been governing Nigeria, stating that the electorate must pick between politicians with large money and those with big ideas that will alter the country.
He believes it is past time for Nigerians to look beyond the PDP and the APC when electing the country’s next president.
“I feel that everyone who is 65 years and above should concentrate their energies into becoming senators instead of running for president,” Dalong speaks shortly after Adebayo’s remark.
“They must vacate every executive position for the young ones. We have squandered their future since 1999 and we’ve not succeeded in building a future for them.
“So, we should withdraw and allow them to take over their future. When they make it, they celebrate and when they mar it, they have themselves to blame.
“I don’t want this endless ballgame of organising the future for the young ones. The fact is that we don’t want anyone who is 65 years to aspire for presidency in Nigeria.
“The office is too demanding; it’s too energetic and we don’t want anyone to go there and be so compassionate and delegate your functions to those you won’t be able to supervise because of your age.”
This could be a direct message to some of the most popular and powerful aspirants who have declared interest in the position, such as former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku and Tinubu are the oldest among the aspirants, who have directly or indirectly declared the intention to run for the office of the President come 2023.
While Atiku Abubakar is currently 75 years old, Tinubu is already heading to 70 years. The incumbent President Buhari is 79.