Ahead of the 2015 presidential election, Nigerians have been admonished to emulate progressive countries like the United States and United Kingdom which have never elected a president above 70 years of age since the inception of democracy in their countries.

Speaking in an interview with journalists in Lagos, a former Governor of Anambra State and the Deputy Director General (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reconciliation team, comprising the South-west, South-east and South-south, Mr. Peter Obi, said the oldest person ever elected as the US president was Ronald Reagan at the age of 68.

He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not wish the country well, or else why would the party be agitating for the election of a 73-year-old former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), adding: “In a world, where a life-changing protest for democratic change, the demand for free and fair democracy without Chinese interference was led by a 17-year-old boy in Hong Kong, APC is threatening to inflict a 73-year-old grandfather on Nigeria as president.”

Obi therefore called for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, stating that the president has set the right processes in motion, adding that Jonathan’s performance has been under-reported and “even distorted by mischief makers.”

He said Jonathan could not be held responsible for the decline in the value of naira, as Nigerians need the understanding of macro-economic realities to understand what is happening in the world today.

According to Obi, “The depreciation in the exchange rate is a worldwide phenomenon fuelled by the fall in oil prices and other elements of the increasing global economic and security challenges. Hardest hit are countries that export petroleum products.

“Talking about the fall in the value of the naira, look at what is happening in Russia and other places. In just a year, the Russian rubbles lost 40 per cent of its value. The Venezuelan currency even lost more than that. The interesting thing about these countries is that they are not calling for the crucifixion of their leaders, rather, they are supporting them with an understanding that
the gale will pass away.”

“Do you realise that the major search engines and social networks of the world, like Google (1998), Yahoo (1994), Ebay (1995), Facebook (2004) and Alibaba were all founded by young people under 40 years of age? Most of the captains of industry in Nigeria today are led by men and women who were not yet in primary school 31 years ago when Buhari’s was head of state.”

Disagreeing with the notion that because Buhari stopped the Maitatsine insurgency in the 80s, he could do the same with the Boko Haram sect, he said what obtained then was quite different from the current scenario, adding: “The stable global environment of the 80s cannot be compared with the volatile and terror-enveloped global environment of today. The socio-religious realities that threw up the Maitatsine group are different from the realities that threw up Boko Haram insurgency."

Obi commended Buhari, who at 41, which was 31 years ago, staged a coup d’état and removed the democratically elected government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari and tried visibly to instil discipline and order in our society.

He, however, said that the coup was Buhari’s greatest achievement, but the “economic policies and actions of that government were disastrous, as Nigeria nearly turned into a pariah nation that no one wanted to deal with globally. At the time, under the Buhari’s government, confirmed Letters of Credit were rejected, because no one wanted to deal with Nigeria.”

Obi said considering the fact that APC believes that its presidential candidate is the best in the annals of Nigeria’s history, does not indicate that he should be asked to come back, adding: “The Singaporeans are not asking Lee Kwuan Yu to come back. Malaysians are not asking Mahathir
Mohamad to come back. The Americans are also not asking Bill Clinton, who came to office 10 years after Buhari’s first outing and who had the best economic performance in the 21st century, to come back. Are we saying that Nigeria has not produced anyone who can do the job today?”

Taking a swipe at the opposition party that the Jonathan administration is incapable of fighting corruption, Obi said: “Everyone in Nigeria claims to be a saint and accuses others of being corrupt. We all read and also heard from those who were there what transpired at the APC primaries in Lagos. That is not corruption, right? While I agree that there is the need to strengthen
institutions like the ICPC and EFCC, to fight the physical and more tangible forms of administrative corruption, there is also the far more fundamental need to fight corruption from its very roots.”

He called on Nigerians to elect President Jonathan who he said has what it takes to take the country to the next level in its development.

matrixx9:
Ahead of the 2015 presidential election,
Nigerians have been admonished to emulate
progressive countries like the United States
and United Kingdom which have never elected
a president above 70 years of age since the
inception of democracy in their countries.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in
Lagos, a former Governor of Anambra State
and the Deputy Director General (South) of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
reconciliation team, comprising the South-
west, South-east and South-south, Mr. Peter
Obi, said the oldest person ever elected as
the US president was Ronald Reagan at the
age of 68.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC)
does not wish the country well, or else why
would the party be agitating for the election
of a 73-year-old former Head of State,
General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), adding: “In
a world, where a life-changing protest for
democratic change, the demand for free and
fair democracy without Chinese interference
was led by a 17-year-old boy in Hong Kong,
APC is threatening to inflict a 73-year-old
grandfather on Nigeria as president.”
Obi therefore called for the re-election of
President Goodluck Jonathan, stating that
the president has set the right processes in
motion, adding that Jonathan’s performance
has been under-reported and “even distorted
by mischief makers.”
He said Jonathan could not be held
responsible for the decline in the value of
naira, as Nigerians need the understanding of
macro-economic realities to understand what
is happening in the world today.
According to Obi, “The depreciation in the
exchange rate is a worldwide phenomenon
fuelled by the fall in oil prices and other
elements of the increasing global economic
and security challenges. Hardest hit are
countries that export petroleum products.
“Talking about the fall in the value of the
naira, look at what is happening in Russia
and other places. In just a year, the Russian
rubbles lost 40 per cent of its value. The
Venezuelan currency even lost more than
that. The interesting thing about these
countries is that they are not calling for the
crucifixion of their leaders, rather, they are
supporting them with an understanding that
the gale will pass away.”
“Do you realise that the major search engines
and social networks of the world, like Google
(1998), Yahoo (1994), Ebay (1995),
Facebook (2004) and Alibaba were all
founded by young people under 40 years of
age? Most of the captains of industry in
Nigeria today are led by men and women who
were not yet in primary school 31 years ago
when Buhari’s was head of state.”
Disagreeing with the notion that because
Buhari stopped the Maitatsine insurgency in
the 80s, he could do the same with the Boko
Haram sect, he said what obtained then was
quite different from the current scenario,
adding: “The stable global environment of the
80s cannot be compared with the volatile and
terror-enveloped global environment of today.
The socio-religious realities that threw up the
Maitatsine group are different from the
realities that threw up Boko Haram
insurgency.
Obi commended Buhari, who at 41, which was
31 years ago, staged a coup d’état and
removed the democratically elected
government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari and tried
visibly to instil discipline and order in our
society.
He, however, said that the coup was Buhari’s
greatest achievement, but the “economic
policies and actions of that government were
disastrous, as Nigeria nearly turned into a
pariah nation that no one wanted to deal
with globally. At the time, under the Buhari’s
government, confirmed Letters of Credit were
rejected, because no one wanted to deal with
Nigeria.”
Obi said considering the fact that APC
believes that its presidential candidate is the
best in the annals of Nigeria’s history, does
not indicate that he should be asked to come
back, adding: “The Singaporeans are not
asking Lee Kwuan Yu to come back.
Malaysians are not asking Mahathir
Mohamad to come back. The Americans are
also not asking Bill Clinton, who came to
office 10 years after Buhari’s first outing and
who had the best economic performance in
the 21st century, to come back. Are we
saying that Nigeria has not produced anyone
who can do the job today?”
Taking a swipe at the opposition party that
the Jonathan administration is incapable of
fighting corruption, Obi said: “Everyone in
Nigeria claims to be a saint and accuses
others of being corrupt. We all read and also
heard from those who were there what
transpired at the APC primaries in Lagos.
That is not corruption, right? While I agree
that there is the need to strengthen
institutions like the ICPC and EFCC, to fight
the physical and more tangible forms of
administrative corruption, there is also the
far more fundamental need to fight
corruption from its very roots.”
He called on Nigerians to elect President
Jonathan who he said has what it takes to
take the country to the next level in its
development.

http://www..com/2015/01/nigeria-should-not-vote-leader-above-70.html

. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/obi-counsels-nigerians-against-voting-for-president-over-70-years/198131/

sufido123:
Peter Obi is correct. Buhari is already senile and this is why he claimed the military board has his certificates. He thinks that we are going to believe his fabricated storyline.

Vote GEJ until Buhari becomes younger! Buhari can't steal my youth and then still my adult years too.

JudismphD:
Apc e-dogs, buhari rule una papa, he still wan rule una. That's slave mentality

Akon419:
The true economist has spoken unlike the other dictator who says he will stabilize the price of oil in the global arena, sponsor the killing of the youth who assumed to be the leaders of tomorrow just because he lost in 2011 and promise that baboon and dog will suck in blood if he looses again

PassingShot:
And who is Peter Obi?

Better a 90 year old who is able and capable than a 50 year clueless, corrupt and directionless leader.

yibomustgo:
[s][/s]

Rubbish from the same suspects from other side of the Niger. How old was Mandela when he became president. How is Prime Minister of India there now? Mugabe, Sirleaf, Bashir, Paul Biya, President of Eq. Guinea, and many more are still there today and in their 70s or 80s doing well for their countries.

Buhari looks more healthy that the drunkard from Oytuoke you all called

president.

sufido123:


Vote GEJ until Buhari becomes younger! Buhari can't steal my youth and then still my adult years too.

knowledgeable:


My friend Nigerian future is already rigged. Any change of administration at this critical period in global geo political and economic realignment will swallow Nigeria. You need to stay on top of the economic policy trend already on the ground. A new government will take at least a year to get a handle on its policies. That transitional gap will do Nigeria in. I understand if this is a little complex for you to grasp.

babadee1:


This is a nonsensical statement. So we shouldn't vote Jonathan out because of your transitional gap theory? What if this was his second term? When will you GEJ supporters start to campaign for your man based on his achievements after six years of ruling and leave all these excuses alone? Hasn't he done enough to campaign on since all this time?

knowledgeable:


My friend Nigerian future is already rigged. Any change of administration at this critical period in global geo political and economic realignment will swallow Nigeria. You need to stay on top of the economic policy trend already on the ground. A new government will take at least a year to get a handle on its policies. That transitional gap will do Nigeria in. I understand if this is a little complex for you to grasp.

yibomustgo:
[s][/s]

Rubbish from the same suspects from other side of the Niger. How old was Mandela when he became president. How is Prime Minister of India there now? Mugabe, Sirleaf, Bashir, Paul Biya, President of Eq. Guinea, and many more are still there today and in their 70s or 80s doing well for their countries.

Buhari looks more healthy that the drunkard from Oytuoke you all called president.

yibomustgo:


One failed governor who saved every penny belong to Anambra into his personal bank while deceiving his fellow yeebos the money was being saved to be used in the future.

SaiBuharii:
G