Jonathan: My 50-year Limit Age Prescription for African Leaders Taken Out of Context 

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Office of former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has clarified what it described as a misrepresentation of his recent comments regarding youth in governance, made by the former President at the recent 50th anniversary commemoration of the passing of Gen. Murtala Mohammed.

A statement issued yesterday by the Media Adviser to the former President, Ikechukwu Eze, addressed the controversy surrounding Jonathan’s speech, noting that social media interpretations suggesting Jonathan advocated for a maximum age of 50 for African leaders were taken out of context.

It stated that Jonathan’s remarks were more of a call for generational inclusion than for a rigid age limit for leadership. “The event was a memorial in honour of General Murtala Mohammed, who assumed office at the youthful age of 36.

“In reflecting on his legacy, former President Jonathan highlighted the importance of youth participation in governance, using the experiences of leaders from that era as reference points,” Eze explained.

The statement noted that Jonathan cited examples such as a 38-year-old Olusegun Obasanjo, a 32-year-old Yakubu Gowon, and a 24-year-old Alfred Diete-Spiff to underscore the historical contributions of young leaders. Eze affirmed that the former President’s central message was a call for inclusion, not exclusion.

President Jonathan’s central message, he said, was not about setting a rigid age limit for leadership. Rather, he emphasised the need to prioritise competence, capacity, innovation, technological awareness, and the energy required to meet the demanding responsibilities of public office.

Eze said: “His remarks were a call for generational inclusion and leadership renewal, not an exclusion of older individuals from public service.”

The statement further dismissed claims that Jonathan sought to disqualify older politicians, pointing out that the former President himself assumed the nation’s highest office in his fifties.

“President Jonathan maintains that leadership should be defined by vision, character, competence, and the physical and mental ability to serve, not by age alone,” the statement read.

“We trust that this clarification puts the matter in proper perspective and addresses any misunderstanding arising from the former President’s remarks,” he added.

According to Eze, some reports suggested that the former President recommended 50 years as the maximum age for African leaders, stressing that this interpretation does not accurately reflect the context or substance of his remarks.

“ These examples were intended to underscore the historical contributions of young leaders and to encourage greater youth inclusion in governance across Africa. President Jonathan’s central message was not about setting a rigid age limit for leadership. Rather, he emphasised the need to prioritise competence, capacity, innovation, technological awareness, and the energy required to meet the demanding responsibilities of public office.

“His remarks were a call for generational inclusion and leadership renewal, not an exclusion of older individuals from public service. His message was not about imposing a strict age limit, but about promoting competence, capacity, innovation and generational inclusion in governance,” the statement added.