Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said there are solutions to generational challenges.
He said this at the launch of a book titled, “Politics that works – What Schools and Seminars Won’t Teach You About Winning Elections.
The book co-authored by Babafemi Ojudu, a presidential aide, and Alex James, a writer, was launched in Abuja, on Monday.
“When I came into politics, I really thought I knew all that could possibly happen in politics, having been in one way or the other involved. I can assure you that the past few years has taught me that there is so much that you cannot even be taught in any book, no matter what the book may say because there are too many wonderful things that happen.”
“Of course, those of us who are participants will tell you that there are too many wonderful things that can happen.
“The second is that this is an inter-generational effort. One between a sixty something year old Senator Femi Ojudu and a twenty something, (I believe) year old Alex Adekunle James. Both are trying to teach important lessons here, that the best way that this could work is where there is an inter-generational handshake, the young and the old, as opposed to any attempt to defile the tenets of liberal politics, by saying that it is one group or the other.
“The type of politics that most of us will prefer is liberal politics, free enterprise, democracy, individual freedom. It means that there can be no discrimination either on the basis of age, gender or political persuasion. So, that is why we negotiate our way through these things. And I think the point was made by some of the speakers. (VP spoke after a panel discussion.)
“So, in liberal democracy, it is about negotiation. There will be negotiation on the basis of gender; women will say we don’t have representation, young people will say we don’t have representation. And then we start talking about quotas or affirmative action or some solution or the other. The simple reason is that the very basis of liberal democracy is that everybody is invited to the table. How you get there (and I like some of what has been said), whether you bring your chair there yourself or get there through the window, however you get there, get there.
“I am very strongly of the view that everyone must be invited to this party. The important thing is that we have, as well as possible, a level playing field. The problem also with liberal politics is money. Who has the resources? Because resources will, to a large extent, determine who can play the game.
“For example, somebody who has a major company, who has the resources will probably be able to get to the game faster than a 60-year-old man with all his experience but no money. So, there are barriers.”
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