President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the era of having old men as the President of Nigeria is over. He also said that he wished he would be the oldest man to rule the country again.

The President spoke on Sunday when the National Youth Leaders organised a valedictory/ appreciation congress in his honour.

The President was represented at the occasion by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.

He said the election of the duo of Alhaji Musa Yar‘Adua and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as president and vice-president had shown that the nation was ready to discard with the services of older men.

He said, ”I am a supporter of youths taking over the country. You can always see that in my actions that I love and respect the youths of this country. That is why I created the ministry of youths which has taken off since January this year.

”The election of Yar‘Adua and Jonathan who are just above 50 years has shown that the youths of this country are coming up. I wish and pray that I would be the oldest man to rule this country again.

”It is also my prayer that by the time Yar‘Adua and Jonathan are handing over, they would be handing over the mantle of leadership of this country to younger persons.

”The PDP gave us Yar‘Adua and Jonathan because they were youths. May we never have 60 years and above in Aso Rock as our president again. The duo of Yar‘Adua and Jonathan are the youngest to emerge democratically as our leaders.”

He said the need to give the youths the chance to move up was because of his unflinching belief that youths remained the bedrock upon which any nation could grow, adding that any nation that neglected its youths was at the verge of collapse.

The foolish Man is just trying to play[b] GOD[/b].

Is he telling us that if a popular and acceptable candidate who is older than 60years old comes in the 2011 presidential election then the candidate will lose because of his age??

He is sure of being alive for the next general election?

He should be told to give his unsolicited advice to the MARINES.

"He that the GOD wants to destroy will first turn INSANE"

cos his 3rd term di not go thru. idiota

that is another way of accepting the position of orji uzo kalu on his age for some time now.
kalu always mention age as the major problem of obj. obj in another statement said adedibu is told old to be renowed.
so we have a unianimous agreement here that obj messed up because of age.
again, people with jail mentality should not be allowed to rule because that is another problem of our out-going president.
it is obvious here that the worst thing that has happened to him is leaving aso rock well we will find a way to include in the constitution that every past president starting from obj can stay in aso rock.

how very cute of him! can someone please tell him to keep his opinions to himself and just GO!!

he is a kind of been disappointed with himself as well as linking his failures to old age.
like the last writter said, let him keep his suggestions to himself and go home.
maybe he will go back to military to achieve his third term agenda.