The Nigerian ex-President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo while delivering a keynote address on Wednesday at a virtual interactive session to mark the annual International Youths Day has asked African youths to wrestle power from the older generation.
Obasanjo beseeched the youths to participate actively in the political activities with a view to taking over the structure from the older people who refuse to leave the stage for them.
The programme was organised by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Participants were drawn from Nigeria, Mali, USA, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
According to him, unless old people are forced to leave political stage, they will continue to dominate the leadership positions to the detriment of the youths.
Obasanjo 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 to the constitution of political parties in favour of youths. 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 per cent of those who hold executive office within the party will be less than 40 years.