Nigeria at 66: Fadojoe Calls for Generational Shift in Leadership

By Our Reporter

Action Alliance (AA) presidential hopeful Faduri Oluwadare Joseph, popularly known as Fadojoe, has called on Nigeria’s long-serving political leaders to hand over power to younger Nigerians, saying the country needs a generational shift as it marks its 66th Independence Anniversary.

In his Independence Day address to Nigerians at home and abroad, Fadojoe criticised successive administrations over unemployment, insecurity, rising fuel prices, economic hardship, poor electricity supply and the decline of the education sector.

“At 66, the same set of people who have been running Nigeria since 1960 are still running it today,” he said.

Fadojoe said the 2027 general election would give Nigerians an opportunity to decide whether to retain the existing political order or embrace a new generation of leaders.

He argued that Nigeria could not achieve different results by relying on the same leadership approach, likening the situation to putting “the same wine in a new bottle” while expecting a different outcome.

“We need a complete overhaul of this system. We need a generational shift in power,” he said, urging former governors, senators and other long-serving political office holders to make room for younger leaders.

He also called on young Nigerians to participate more actively in the electoral process, saying youths were often mobilised during campaigns but denied meaningful opportunities to lead.

Education and Healthcare

Fadojoe said education would be a priority under his proposed administration, promising free and compulsory education from primary school through university.

He said the older generation had benefited from a stronger education system and better employment opportunities but had failed to preserve those advantages for younger Nigerians.

According to him, inadequate education and limited economic opportunities could expose young people to recruitment by criminal and extremist groups, including Boko Haram and other terrorist organisations.

He also called for major investment in healthcare to reduce the need for Nigerians and public officials to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Fadojoe said public funds spent on overseas medical care should instead be used to build hospitals and strengthen healthcare services within the country.

Economic and Power Reforms

On the economy, Fadojoe advocated the restoration of fuel subsidy and proposed reducing petrol prices to about ₦300 per litre, which he described as the level before the present administration.

He also promised to tackle corruption, alleged diversion of public funds and inflated government contracts.

He said a more transparent contracting system would ensure that funds allocated for several development projects were not consumed by the inflated cost of a single project.

Fadojoe further called for stronger support for local manufacturing, including the use of Nigerian-made vehicles as official government cars.

He argued that patronising locally produced goods would encourage investment, create jobs and strengthen the domestic economy.

The AA hopeful also expressed concern over the depreciation of the naira, unemployment, the rising cost of living and the migration of young Nigerians under the “japa” trend.

He said Nigerians were seeking basic necessities, including education, security, employment and a decent standard of living.

On electricity, Fadojoe criticised the continued instability in power supply, saying Nigeria had the resources to become one of the world’s most powerful nations but had failed to translate its potential into improved living conditions.

He also claimed that more than 700 companies had left Nigeria in the past three years because of what he described as poor governance, although he did not provide details to support the figure.

He said the country needed policies that would encourage businesses to remain, expand production and employ more Nigerians.

Dispute Over AA Presidential Ticket

Fadojoe also addressed the dispute over the Action Alliance presidential ticket, insisting that he remains the authentic presidential candidate of the party.

He said efforts were ongoing to secure legal recognition and ensure that he appears on the ballot in the 2027 presidential election.

The AA presidential ticket is the subject of an ongoing dispute. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje as the party’s presidential candidate, while Fadojoe is associated with a faction led by Barrister Kenneth Udeze and is seeking recognition through the courts.

Fadojoe concluded by urging Nigerians to vote wisely in 2027 and support what he described as a generational shift in power.

“We are ready. I am ready,” he said, urging Nigerians not to lose hope in the country.

“Do not give up on this country,” he added.

The dispute over the AA ticket remains unresolved, while Fadojoe’s proposals place leadership renewal, social investment and economic reform at the centre of his campaign message ahead of the 2027 election.