Senator Buhari cautions youths against apathy to politics

Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Cyber Crime, Dr. Abdulfatai Buhari, has enjoined youths to embrace partisan politics if they hope to take over mantle of leadership from the aging generation.

He noted that if youths get involved actively in politics, chances are there that they would contest for elective positions with a view to repositioning the country.

The federal lawmaker said that no African president was below 40 years, putting the average age of the present crop of leaders at 70.

He said: “We have more than 20 African leaders that are aged above 70 years. Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe is 92 years, Cameroun’s Paul Biya, 83 years, Malawi’s Mutharika, 76 years; Sirleaf of Liberia, 78 years; South Africa’s Zuma, 74 years; Ghanaian Akufo-Addo, 72 and Buhari of Nigeria, 73 years. Yet, we call the youths the leaders of tomorrow. When will the tomorrow come?”

Buhari spoke on Monday while delivering the independence anniversary lecture organised by the Federation of Oyo State Students Union (FOSSU) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He noted that the clamour for the younger generation to vie for elective offices in Nigeria got a boost with the recent passage by the National Assembly of a bill amending the age requirements to run for elective offices.