Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has cautioned against reducing political participation to age and gender.
Oshiomhole gave the warning while speaking at the public presentation of a book titled, ‘Politics that works’, written by Babafemi Ojudu and Alex James.
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He said “It is very dangerous to reduce governance and issues of government in Nigeria to age, and even the question of gender.
“When we are talking about gender issue, what drives a woman is not the skirt or blouse that she wears, it is our heart.
“I want us to move our heart away from what we hear that when the people are young, things will be fine. The Vice President and I served at a committee before I was brought to where I am.
“Did we really find any correlation between the values, the ideal, competence and performance of people who occupied executive position and those who occupied legislative houses?
“The views they parroted, the decisions they took, and their idea of society; was it in correlation with their age and those views? I haven’t found any.
“I have found elderly people who care and believe Nigeria can do better and they have idea of how it can be managed. I also have young people who believe life is a super highway.
“I don’t want to be misunderstood. The young people have the right to participate and to be active in every sphere of life.”
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who was also present, said Liberal democracy is about negotiation.
“There is no discrimination either on the basis of age or gender or political persuasion.”
“That is why we negotiate our way to the top. Liberal democracy is about negotiation. The very basis of liberal democracy is that everybody is invited to the table,” he said.
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