By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, elder statesman and politician, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as well as the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) have canvassed for a youth from Igbo extraction to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure in 2023.
In a media chat with the Igbo youths in Owerri, they all expressed same interest, preferring youths to the older generation of leaders in the country, arguing that the older generation has failed the nation.
The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing, Osmond Nkeoma, said, “if youths can excel as presidents in western countries, they can do better in Nigeria.
He posited that the youths are ready and willing to take responsibility of administering the country, while claiming that the old generation leaders does not have what it takes to manage the country, especially meeting up with the challenges of digital world.
“Igbo youths are ready and capable of administering the country. How old was Odumegwu Ojukwu when he became a leader, how old was General Yakubu Gowon and even Muhammadu Buhari when he became the head of state?
“Moreover, when you go to the western world like Ireland, the prime minister is a youth, even Canada and France, youths can do it better, older ones have failed us, with older ones, there is no hope for this nation. We cannot afford to have a president who cannot talk about a digital economy, any old man from 55 above should be ignored,” Nkeoma said.
The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) president general Goodluck Egwu, said the older generation leaders have not done well to deserve being at the helms of affair again in the country.
“We have so many youths that is eminently qualified in the South East, the older ones have failed us, we have not faired well under them and that is why we are clamouring for a change,” he said.
Also, an elder statesman and politician, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, argued that any aspirant above 69 should not contest the presidential seat.
“I think the constitution has defined the age limit, from my own opinion, anybody up to 70 should not contest because the job of a president is very demanding, in fact, the younger the better,” Iwuanyanwu posited.
