Isaac Balami, a former chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), has said that he will support Seyi Tinubu if he decides to pursue a gubernatorial bid in Lagos State.
Reports suggest that President Bola Tinubu’s son may be considering a governorship bid in Lagos State come 2027, but he was yet to make any formal declaration.
Balami said it was time to stop the system where old people govern the people of Lagos State.
“If Seyi Tinubu agrees to run in the next Lagos governorship election, I will come all out with my army of youths supporters to support him because as a young man I had suffered a serious blow in the past years because they saw that I was young and ambitious,” he said.
“This is the time to change the practice of gerontocracy for the good of Lagosians.
“There is no doubt that young people are taking over economically and politically. Historically, good governance is associated with young people who are in leadership positions.”
The former youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said Nigeria has had leaders who held positions in their prime.
“How old was Yakubu Gowon when he became the nation’s head of state? At the age of 32, his achievements were unmatched,” he said.
“Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu led Biafra at 33. Obafemi Awolowo emerged Premier of Western Nigeria only at 37. Peter Obi was handed the mantle as early as 46. Donald Duke did not do badly when he was Cross River state governor. He was only 37.
“In comparison to global politics and governance, Emmanuel Macron became the French President at the age of 39. Compare France GDP of $3.31 trillion to that of Lagos State which has a GDP of $87 billion, and you will realize that Seyi Tinubu who will be 42 in 2027 stands the better chance of running Lagos better than anyone else.”
Balami said using age, gender or ethnicity as a yardstick to elect leaders would “frustrate leadership by competence and merit”.
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