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Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged African nations to promote younger leaders, arguing that those between the ages of 25 and 50 are better equipped to handle the physical and mental demands of modern governance.
Jonathan made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the International Memorial Lecture and Leadership Conference marking the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed.
Reflecting on his time in office, Jonathan said leadership requires exceptional stamina and resilience, noting that he often slept for only a few hours while serving as president.
“Why do we begin to think that you must be a hundred years old before you can rule your country?” he asked, stressing that younger leaders are more capable of coping with the pressures of governance.
He aligned his remarks with the objectives of Nigeria’s “Not Too Young To Run” movement, which advocates reduced age limits for elective positions to encourage youth participation in politics.
“If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look within the 25 to 50 age bracket. That is when you can be vibrant, physically strong and mentally sound,” Jonathan said.
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The former president also questioned the frequency of official travels by some public office holders, suggesting that leaders should devote more time to administering their states and countries.
Jonathan cited the example of General Murtala Muhammed, who became Head of State at 38 and, despite serving for only 200 days, left what he described as a lasting legacy of decisive and visionary leadership.
“His leadership sent a clear message that governance is about serving the national interest, not personal ambition,” he said.
He also referenced General Yakubu Gowon, who assumed office at 32 and later introduced the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing him as another example of youthful leadership at a critical period in Nigeria’s history.
However, Jonathan cautioned that age alone does not guarantee effective leadership, emphasising the importance of discipline, patriotism and strong institutions.
“Democracy depends on institutions, not individuals. It requires vision rather than decree, persuasion instead of command, and respect for the rule of law,” he said.
He urged young people to approach leadership as service rather than entitlement, and called on African leaders to view governance as stewardship.
“As we mark 50 years of General Murtala Muhammed’s legacy, let us remember that leadership is measured not by duration in office but by the courage to act and the impact made on society,” Jonathan added.
The event brought together political leaders, academics and stakeholders to reflect on leadership, governance and Africa’s development trajectory.
Nigeria’s Labour Party has accused its former leadership of forcibly entering the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and removing official documents, deepening an internal crisis that has followed a recent court ruling over the party’s leadership structure.
The allegations were made by the Nenadi Usman–led Caretaker Committee, which said the break-in occurred days after a Federal High Court in Abuja removed the Julius Abure–led National Working Committee (NWC) and recognised the Usman group as the party’s legitimate leadership. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) subsequently acknowledged the court decision, formally recognising the Caretaker Committee.
Party officials said the secretariat was intact when the newly recognised leadership met there on Tuesday morning. By nightfall, they allege, the building was forcibly entered and offices were vandalised, with key documents removed.
On Thursday, Senator Nenadi Usman, chair of the Caretaker Committee, led an inspection of the premises alongside senior officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and members of the party’s Board of Trustees. They called on security agencies to investigate the incident and arrest those responsible. Briefing journalists after the inspection, Usman accused former party chairman Julius Abure of orchestrating the operation. She said the vandalism took place hours after the Caretaker Committee formally took possession of the secretariat following the court ruling. “The whole thing started on Tuesday night, right up to the early hours of Wednesday, after we came here, held a ceremony, and left,” she said. “We were later told hoodlums broke into the offices. You have seen the extent of the damage, documents were carted away.”
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Usman alleged that Abure arrived at the secretariat with security personnel, describing the incident as “enforcement of criminality with government backing.” She said she was not physically present during the alleged break-in but cited testimony from the security guard on duty.
The guard, Aminu Salusi, told journalists that Abure personally led the group that entered the premises. According to Salusi, Abure’s security aide assaulted him and held him at gunpoint after he refused to open the gate because he did not have authorisation or keys. “I said I couldn’t because I didn’t have the keys,” Salusi said. “They arrived with DSS officials who climbed the fence, gained entry, and started beating me. I tried to run, but they caught me. They demanded the office keys, and when I refused, they beat my colleague too. They pointed guns at us and threatened to shoot if we didn’t cooperate.”
He alleged that the group then forced entry into offices upstairs, including the chairman’s office, and ordered him to leave the premises and not return.
The Labour Party said the incident had been formally reported to security agencies and demanded a full criminal investigation. No official response had been issued by police or other security bodies at the time of publication.
