Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Sunday that age should not be a barrier for anyone to lead the country, as long as the person has been chosen by the citizens.
He argued that it was not right to stipulate minimum age for a presidential candidate without also specifying the maximum age beyond which one would no longer be able to contest.
According to him, capability and competence, rather than age, should be the qualifications for leadership, recalling that Gen. Yakubu Gowon became military Head of State at the age of 33.
Obasanjo said this while commenting on the proposition by the Senate to reduce the age of presidential candidates from 40 to 35.
The former ppresident featured on Sunday as the guest speaker at an exposition series tagged, “God in my life,” organised by the Torchbearer Society of Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos.
“Quite frankly, if we put minimum age, why are we not putting maximum age? If they put minimum age and then say that even if you are 90, you can be president, because there is no age limit to being president.
“To me, there should be no age limit. Gen. Gowon (retd.) became the Head of State at the age of 33, I became the Head of State at 39…
“I believe there should be no age limit; let the people decide,” Obasanjo said.
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