Presidency Becoming A Sickbay For Old Politicians — Sowunmi Warns

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has raised concerns over what he described as the persistent recycling of aged politicians into the presidency, saying the office has increasingly resembled a “sickbay” rather than a seat of vibrant leadership.

Speaking on Monday during the inauguration of the National Youth Alliance (NYA) state chairmen in Abuja, Sowunmi, former spokesman to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, warned that Nigeria’s political structure has failed to create deliberate pathways for younger leaders to emerge.

“We’ve had a President who died in office and another who spent a large part of his tenure in and out of hospitals.

“We are paying dearly for the absence of a clear succession plan and youth inclusion in governance,” he said.

Sowunmi, a former PDP governorship aspirant in Ogun State, argued that leadership should balance experience with physical fitness and mental alertness, especially in a country where the majority of the population is youthful.

He also urged young Nigerians to shun ethnic and religious divisions, adding that poverty and privilege are national issues that cut across every tribe.

Also speaking at the event, former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, urged Nigerian youths to rebuild trust and integrity as prerequisites for leadership.

Aliyu lamented that Nigeria often fails to produce its best leaders, not due to a lack of qualified individuals, but because weak systems continually reward loyalty over competence.

“We need to start national transformation from the grassroots. Let our young people lead by example in their communities,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Head of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, His Most Eminence Emmanuel Alogbo, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections in 2027.

At a press briefing in Lagos ahead of the church’s 2026 Annual General Conference, Alogbo urged politicians to eschew violence and politics of bitterness.

“We call on the APC and President Tinubu to provide a level playing field for all political actors,” he said.

The AGC, themed “An Unhidden City”, will be hosted by The Saviour’s Ministries of C&S from January 29 to February 1, 2026.

Alogbo also decried the rising wave of insecurity and kidnappings, revealing that 156 members of the church remain in captivity after being abducted during a Sunday service on January 18, 2026, in Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“While we commend the efforts of the Federal Government in tackling insecurity, the recent spike in kidnappings calls for a more critical and urgent response,” he stated.

He appealed for swift action to secure the release of those in captivity and protect citizens from further harm.