Immediate past Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has said that some presidential candidates under the All Progressives Congress (APC) are too elderly to govern the country in 2023.
Because of their age, the former minister argued that APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani, and immediate past Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu should not run for president in 2023.
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In an interview with ThisDay, the former minister claimed that the trio are all over 60 years old and will be unable to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 due to their advancing years.
He further said that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello are unfit for the country’s current work plan.
Nwajiuba, however, said the listed presidential hopefuls are patriotic Nigerians with good intentions but not the best candidate for the ruling party.
He said: “You may be a smart person in the 60s, but the knowledge of economy has moved beyond your era. You might have governed Lagos State before, but those people you trained are also doing fantastic.
“That, then, did not make the knowledge resident in only you. You could have great leaders like Asiwaju Tinubu or men like Ibikunle Amosun, even the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, who by their nature are very nice persons, they might not be suitable for the work plan now.
“There are those, who mean well but being challenged by the age factor, like the former senate president, Ken Nnamani. He is a lovely person, who has the interest of Nigerians at heart, but he may not be as strong as he used to be when he was in government. So, you must excuse him.
“The same thing applies to Ogbonnaya Onu, who also has the challenge of the age. They are good men. We also have younger elements, like the governor of Kogi State, who, is very agile in his 40s, but he has not garnered a nationalistic experience yet. He must be given room to grow.
“There are many constraints for different aspirants. We need somebody, who has the empathy, the energy, the enthusiasm, and exact understanding of the experiences and knowledge that are required.”
