Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently charged African youths to engage actively in political activities in order to push out older generation politicians from office.
He also tasked them to request affirmative action as part of a step by step process to flush out the old generation of leaders that exist in their different countries.
Obasanjo stated these points while delivering a keynote address during an interactive session which marks 2020 International Youth Day held at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta.
The session’s participants were drawn from Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and United States.
He said unless the leaders were forcefully pushed off the stage, they would keep occupying the leadership positions in their different countries across the continent.
Obasanjo told the youth to influence the desired change by making a bold move by participating actively in politics.
He said: “Unless you squeeze out those who are in office and those who want to remain in office perpetually, some after the age of 80. Unless you squeeze them out they will not want to be out.
“The type of change I am talking about, that I believe we can all embark upon is to subscribe into the constitution of political parties in favour of youth. Or if you like it you call it affirmative action in favour of youths.
“For instance, if you say, in the constitution of a political party, not less than 50 percent of those who hold executive office within the party will be less than 40 years of age.
“You’re just making sure that people that are 40 years of age will hold 50 percent of executive offices within the political party.
“You can even go beyond that and say that people who will be put up for election, not less than 50 percent of them, will be less than 40 years of age. That’s affirmative action. That is positive discrimination in favour of youths.
“I am saying this because if you leave it entirely for people to do it for you, nobody will do it for you. You have to do it for yourself.”
