A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former spokesman to Atiku Abubakar, Segun Sowunmi, has warned that Nigeria’s presidency has, for some time, appeared like a sickbay for old people.

He argued that the country is paying the price for the lack of deliberate succession planning and for the exclusion of youth from governance.

Sowunmi spoke on Monday in Abuja at the inauguration of the chairmen of the National Youth Alliance (NYA) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He recalled that Nigeria has experienced the tragedy of a sitting president dying in office, followed by another who spent a significant part of his tenure in and out of hospitals.

The former PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State said the development has exposed the dangers of recycling ageing politicians in a country with an overwhelmingly youthful population.

Sowunmi argued that while experience is important, leadership also requires physical agility and mental alertness.

He said, “For some time now, our presidential office has almost appeared as if it is a sickbay for old people.

We had the misfortune of a president who died in office. That is late Musa Yaradua. As if that is not bad enough, we had the misfortune of a president again who succeeded him and spent a lot of time in the hospital. The late President Buhari was a good man, but was too old.

“Suddenly, we have the misfortune even today of having a president who cannot even have the courage to tell us what they are doing and how they are doing things. Why? Because even when you have the brains, there is a time when you need the muscles and every administrative mistake they make today, you can put it to the fact that agility is no longer as it used to be.”

He said the reality already places young people in a position of power, noting that with a median age of about 18 years, the country’s future cannot continue to be shaped by leaders unwilling to create space for a new generation.

He urged youths to reject ethnic and religious bigotry, insisting that poverty and privilege affect Nigerians across ethnic lines in the same way.

Speaking, former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, urged young Nigerians to build trust, integrity and competence, stressing that national transformation begins from the community level.

Aliyu said Nigeria has often failed to produce its best leaders, not because capable individuals are absent, but because weak systems and poor leadership culture continue to reward mediocrity over merit.

“The system has failed because leadership has failed. Systems do not run themselves; people run them. If we do not think differently, the idea of a functional system will remain non-existent,” she said.

Earlier, President of the National Youth Alliance (NYA), Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, said the practice of politicians abandoning youths after elections was unacceptable.

He said the NYA was created to promote structure, inclusion and leadership development, adding that the inauguration of state chairmen and the unveiling of the alliance’s official website and digital portal marked a significant step toward coordinated youth engagement nationwide.

“We must speak the truth. Many of our politicians have confused and misguided the youth, using them during elections, ignoring them during governance, and abandoning them after victory. Women, despite their strength, resilience, and numbers, remain largely confined to the margins of power.

“This is unacceptable. And this is why the National Youth Alliance exists,” he said. (The Guardian)