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As Nigeria marks its 66th independence anniversary, Faduri Oluwadare Joseph, popularly known as Fadojoe, has called on the country’s older political leaders to relinquish power and give the younger generation an opportunity to lead.
“My name is Faduri Oluwadare Joseph, popularly known as Fadojoe, and I am the authentic presidential candidate of Action Alliance (AA). We are doing everything possible to win our case in court and be on the ballot,” he said.
Joseph, who described himself as the “authentic presidential candidate” of the Action Alliance (AA), made the call in his Independence Day address to Nigerians at home and in the diaspora.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 66 years of independence, Fadojoe said the country had reached an age at which it should be able to assess its progress and confront the challenges facing its citizens.
“At 66, unemployment remains a serious concern. Fuel is unaffordable for the average Nigerian, and insecurity continues to ravage the country,” he said.
He also expressed concern about the state of the economy, saying that despite claims by the government of significant efforts, many Nigerians were yet to feel meaningful improvements in their daily lives.
“At 66, our nation’s economy is in trouble. Even when this government claims to be doing so much, there is very little that Nigerians can feel in their daily lives,” Joseph said.
According to him, Nigeria’s political leadership has remained dominated by the same generation of politicians for decades, leaving younger Nigerians with limited opportunities to assume positions of authority.
“At 66, the same set of people who have been running Nigeria since 1960 are still running it today,” he declared.
“Many young people who were told two or three decades ago that they would become the leaders of their country are still looking up to the older generation, whose members have refused to yield power and pass the baton to younger Nigerians.”
Joseph said the 2027 general elections would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to determine the direction of the country and called for what he described as a “complete generational shift in power.”
“We need a complete overhaul of this system. We need a generational shift in power,” he said.
“These leaders who have been running our country from 1960 until today must pass the baton. It is time for them to hand over government and power to the younger generation to run this nation.”
Fadojoe said Nigeria’s problems were already well known and argued that the country needed a change in leadership and approach rather than another cycle of promises.
“We know the problems; what we need are solutions,” he said. “And in looking for solutions, we must start, first and foremost, by changing leadership because we cannot put the same wine in a new bottle and expect a different result.”
“This means we must change both the wine and the bottle,” he added.
The AA politician also criticised successive governments over what he described as deterioration in education, security, employment and the economy.
He recalled the conditions Nigerians enjoyed in previous decades, arguing that political leaders had failed to preserve opportunities available to earlier generations.
“When they were young, Nigeria was as safe as heaven. But today, they have failed to preserve that same level of security,” he said.
“When they were young, there were employment opportunities across the nation. Even after graduation, people were employed and given vehicles, houses and many other benefits.”
He similarly pointed to the country’s education system and international reputation, saying younger Nigerians should have access to opportunities comparable to those available to previous generations.
Joseph urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to pay close attention to the 2027 elections.
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He asked citizens to consider whether they wanted the country to continue with what he described as “the same old leaders” or embrace a new generation of political leadership.
“Are we going to have the same old country with the same old leaders? We cannot expect a new nation while retaining the same approach to leadership,” he said.
According to him, young Nigerians constitute a significant portion of the population but have often been mobilised for political purposes without subsequently being given meaningful opportunities to participate in governance.
“This country will be fixed by you and me, especially the youth of this nation, the 65 per cent of young people who have always been used and dumped,” he said.
Joseph also outlined several areas in which he said a new administration should focus, including education, healthcare, electricity, employment, industrial production and the fight against corruption.
On education, Joseph advocated free and compulsory education from primary school through university, arguing that investment in young Nigerians could also help address insecurity.
“Education should be free and compulsory from primary school to university level, so that more Nigerians can be educated,” he said.
He argued that young people who lack access to education and skills could become vulnerable to recruitment by criminal and terrorist groups.
On healthcare, Joseph called for stronger domestic medical facilities to reduce the need for Nigerians, including government officials, to seek treatment abroad.
“Let us create a nation where Nigerians who seek medical treatment abroad can return home because we have a healthcare system that works,” he said.
He also advocated greater support for local manufacturing, including the use of Nigerian-made vehicles by government institutions.
“Let us create a nation that produces, where the cars we manufacture here can become the official vehicles of our government,” he said.
Joseph also proposed a reversal of some of the economic policies of the present administration, including the restoration of fuel subsidy and a reduction in petrol prices. He called for stronger action against corruption and the inflation of government contracts.
“Let us have a nation where we can fight corruption and the rampant stealing of public funds, so that missing money will no longer go missing,” he said.
“Let us have a nation where contracts will not be inflated and where money that could have been used to execute ten projects is not spent on just one.”
As Nigeria enters another year of independence, Joseph said citizens should not abandon hope despite the challenges facing the country.
“I feel your pain. I feel your struggles, Nigerians. I understand your desire to have a better nation,” he said.
“You are not asking for too much. You are only asking for basic things: basic education and a decent life.”
He further called on Nigerians to participate actively in the 2027 elections and support what he described as a generational transfer of political power.
“That is why you must vote and vote wisely. You must vote for a generational shift in power and for new leaders to assume office, giving the younger generation an opportunity to take over the running of this nation,” Joseph said.
Joseph reaffirmed his intention to participate in the 2027 presidential contest, saying his political camp was pursuing legal avenues to secure its place on the ballot.
He urged Nigerians not to give up on the country and wished citizens at home and abroad a happy 66th independence anniversary.
