2023: Okupe Hits Fayemi Over ‘Dictatorial’ Remark On Age Limit For President

Former presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, has described as “dictatorial”, a declaration by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State that no one above the age of sixty should be allowed to become Nigeria’s president.

Fayemi, who is the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), reportedly made the statement on Thursday while delivering a speech at the national youth summit and conference organised by the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC) in Abuja.

The 56-year-old had described himself as a youth and also charged youths in the country to position themselves to take leadership positions in the next coming elections.

“One thing I can tell you is that we the Nigerian youths are not going to allow anyone above the age of 60 years to run for president. Nigerians have suffered enough. Enough is enough. It is not by saying, we have to go into action and we have to mobilise,” said Fayemi.

But Okupe, 69, who recently declared his intention to run for president in 2023, faulted the Ekiti State governor’s remark as unconstitutional.

“Statement credited to Governor Fayemi that nobody above the age of 60yrs will be allowed to rule Nigeria in 2023, is Dictatorial, UNCONSTITUTIONAL and a gross violation of Fundamental Human Rights of Nigerian citizens in that age bracket.

“It is however achievable if; 1.) there is a constitutional amendment to that effect. 2.) If a majority of the Nigerian electorates act in tandem with the idea through their votes in the Presidential elections.

“I will not waste my time or that of my readers with the merits and demerits of this misguided age discrimination and employment of illegal tactics to achieve it, for now,” he said in a series of tweets on Friday.

Okupe had recently criticised the calls for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction, saying “A national consensus for Igbo presidency cannot evolve until the core North forgives the Igbos for the killing of Sardauna of Sokoto by Nigerian soldiers of Igbo extraction in the 1966 coup.”

He had said that he could only shelve his presidential ambition, “If this consensus (for Igbo presidency) emerges in the interest of equity, fairness and national unity.”

The statement had earned him a lot of backlash on social media, prompting him to issue an open apology to the Igbo.

Okupe wrote in a tweet: “OPEN APOLOGY TO THE IGBOS. I tender my unreserved apology to the Igbos and other Nigerians who felt offended by my post on the Igbo presidency and the North. I never intended to hurt or demean the Igbos. Instead, I wanted to help actualise the dream. I regret the said post and I am truly sorry.”