According to the requirements of the 1999 Constitution, anyone who is a citizen by birth, has attained the age of 35, is a member of a political party, and possesses at least a Senior School Certificate or its equivalent is qualified to be president. These rules have been questioned on numerous occasions and are still being scrutinized in light of the country’s current issues by both state and non-state entities. The argument has been made that citizens who have had the opportunity to be president tended to be older rather than younger. As a result, the age of 35 appears to be feasible on paper. This has recently become a hot topic among young people, who believe they have been denied the opportunity to define a better and more sustainable course for the country’s socioeconomic and political development. The Not Too Young To Run Movement arose from the demand for a “youthful president” a few years ago.
While this article has briefly discussed the requirements for becoming president in Nigeria, as well as concerned stakeholders’ criticisms of the age clause, there is a need for Nigerians, particularly those of voting age,who would go to the polls in 2023 and elect a new president after President Muhammadu Buhari’s term expires, to understand circular campaign promises of the senior citizens who expressed interest in contesting for the presidential position.
Our analyst investigates several well-known politicians and professionals’ recent expressions of interest. Analysis reveals that all the candidates repeatedly duplicated campaign pledges made by previous politicians dating back to 1960. They largely believed that the key problems of the country are bad economy and insecurity. According to them fixing these challenges would bring sustainable development in Nigeria. This was the same proposition of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. Then, President Buhari believed that the ruling party and previous administrations largely failed to utilise available resources for benefit of all citizens and placing the country among the top developed economies in the world.
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Exhibit 1: Interested Citizens’ Solution Index based on Total Areas of Country’s Needs
In terms of adopting the same past campaign pledges in their EOIs, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former governor Peter Obi of Anambra State stood out. Former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Sam Ohuabunwa and the All Progressives Congress leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu followed the trio (see Exhibit 1). Our analysis also revealed that the aspirants thought Nigeria had become more divided in recent years. As a result, a leader who can unite all the regions is required. This was more Aminu Tambuwal’s, Bola Tinubu’s, Atiku Abubakar’s, Bukola Saraki’s, Peter Obi’s, and Nwachukwu Anakwenze’s position.
As the election for 2023 approaches, our analyst believes that voters and players in electoral and political institutions must consider the country’s issues beyond basic necessities and improving economy locally. This is required since the country must meet a number of regional and global commitments by 2050. For example, none of the politicians and professionals thought it was appropriate to discuss Nigeria’s foreign policy if they were elected.
Exhibit 2: Interested Citizens’ Focus Areas
