At Murtala Mohammed Event, Jonathan Says African Leaders Should Be Under 50

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for a generational shift in African leadership, urging countries across the continent to deliberately promote younger leaders aged 25 to 50, who he said are better physically and mentally equipped for the rigours of modern governance.

Jonathan made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the International Memorial Lecture and Leadership Conference marking the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed.

Reflecting on the demands of leadership, the former president recalled that while in office, he sometimes had no more than two hours of sleep in 24 hours, stressing that advanced age can limit the capacity to cope with the pressures of governance.

“Why do we begin to think that you must be a hundred years old before you can rule your country?” Jonathan asked.

He noted that leadership requires unusual stamina and resilience, arguing that younger leaders are better positioned to withstand the pressure.

“If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can stay awake for 24 hours. When I was in office, some days I did not sleep up to two hours. If you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 per cent of the time in hospital,” he said.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that the true test of leadership in a democracy is not the weight of power but how that power is exercised.

He warned that democracy requires restraint, vision and submission to the will of the people, not decree or command.

Jonathan spoke at the Murtala Muhammed International Lecture and Leadership Conference organised by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation in Abuja yesterday, to mark the 50th anniversary of the late Head of State’s passing.

 

 

 

He said young people must see leadership as service, not entitlement, while leaders must treat governance as stewardship, not a personal right.

 

 

 

“Democracy requires vision rather than decree. It requires persuasion instead of command. It depends on institutions, not individuals,” he said.

 

 

 

According to him, democracy demands respect for the rule of law and a willingness to submit power to the will of the people.

 

 

 

He cautioned that leaders must strengthen what they inherit rather than destroy it.

 

 

 

Jonathan noted that those privileged to serve as chief executives must regard the entire country as their constituency.

 

 

 

Reflecting on his time in office, he said Nigeria faced enormous pressure, including the Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009 after events in Borno State were “terribly mismanaged”.

 

 

 

He also cited economic challenges, deep political divisions, rising public expectations and widespread distrust.

 

 

 

“In such moments, leaders are often tempted to sacrifice democratic principles for convenience. Yet, democracy must be strengthened and made to deliver, even at personal cost,” he said.

 

 

 

The former President linked Nigeria’s democratic journey to Africa’s broader experience with governance.

 

 

 

Across the continent, he said, there have been cycles of military intervention, one-party dominance, weak institutions and constitutional manipulations.

 

 

 

“Africa’s greatest governance challenge is not the absence of elections but the absence of a lasting democratic culture built on credible and transparent elections,” Jonathan said.

 

 

 

He stressed the need to respect term limits, protect judicial independence and uphold press freedom.

 

 

 

Jonathan said Nigeria carries a special responsibility in West Africa, noting that when democracy succeeds in Nigeria, it strengthens democracy across the continent.

 

 

 

He added that the frustration among young people does not signal a rejection of democracy but rather a demand that it deliver opportunity, dignity and justice.

 

 

 

“If there is no justice in democracy, then there are fractures within democracy,” he said.

 

 

 

Highlighting the legacy of General Murtala Muhammed, who became Head of State at 38 and ruled for 200 days, Jonathan said leadership impact is not measured by length of tenure but by clarity of vision and courage.

 

 

 

He recalled that in earlier years, age limits barred many young Nigerians from elective office, despite the country’s history of young military leaders.

 

 

 

Reinforcing the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ movement, Jonathan said Africa must lower age barriers to allow vibrant and mentally agile leaders to emerge.

 

 

 

“That is when you get people who can stay awake for 24 hours if necessary,” he said, adding that during his presidency, he often slept for less than two hours.

 

 

 

He, however, criticised what he described as the frequent foreign trips by some political office holders.

 

 

 

“In some countries, governors hardly leave their territories. However, some of our leaders spend 50 per cent of their time outside. So who runs the state?” he queried.

 

 

 

He said discipline was central to the success of past military administrations, noting that military governors rarely left their states without permission.

 

 

 

Without discipline, he warned, Africa’s governance challenges would persist.

 

 

 

Jonathan described Murtala Muhammed’s legacy as one rooted in discipline, accountability and national unity.

 

 

 

He said the late leader projected Nigeria as a moral voice for African liberation and self-determination.

 

 

 

“Leadership is not measured by how long one governs. It is measured by the courage to act decisively when the nation needs direction,” he added.

 

 

 

While acknowledging that military rule thrived on command, Jonathan insisted that Nigeria’s democratic future depends on strong institutions.

 

 

 

“These include credible electoral bodies, an independent judiciary, well-trained security officers and accountable governance systems,” he said.

 

 

 

He urged leaders across Africa to strengthen institutions and deepen democratic culture, stressing that the continent’s governance story is still being written.