Former President John Dramani Mahama is concerned about some of his former colleagues' continued tenure in office. Mahama wonders why octuagenarians and nonagenarians continue to compete for and hold political office despite clear capacity and health issues in some circumstances. On January 27, 2023, at a speech on 'Africa's strategic priorities and global position' at Chatham House in the United Kingdom, the former president stated that it was time to change that narrative.
"When you have a leader who is old, he has no business continuing to be a leader, it doesn't matter where the person is coming from, whether Africa or wherever.
"When you have leaders that have problems in terms of ideas, they have no business continuing to be in leadership, especially when you have a continent with a population as young as Africa," Mr Mahama remarked.
"60% of the African population is under the age of 25. So why would someone in their 80s and 90s want to lead? "I was going to suggest they should be at home caring for their grandchildren, but I just became a grandfather myself," he laughed.
There are several African leaders that are over the age of 80 and still serving. Among them are Cameroon President Paul Biya (89), Namibian President Hage Gottfried Geingob (81), Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara (81), Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (80), and Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa (80).
