The victory of the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron at the French presidential election is being welcomed globally for so many reasons. Apart from being brilliant, young and new to politics, Macron believes in inclusive politics and ideals of European Union (EU).
He is a strong believer in internationalism of politics as against rabid nationalism of his opponent and far-right Marine Le Pen. At 39, Macron has become the youngest president of France. This is not a mean achievement.
While a Macron has emerged as a leader of one of the world’s super powers, can we have such a scenario in any of the leading African countries? Can a Macron be a possibility in Africa? When will we have our own Macron in Nigeria? These are pertinent questions that agitated my mind the moment Macron emerged as the leader of France.
Can our electoral system produce a Macron? Can somebody without political experience emerge as the president of Nigeria? These are questions patriotic Nigerians should ask themselves.
When I look at the profiles of most African leaders, the emerging picture is that a Macron may not be a possibility in Africa, not now and not in the near future. Africa has a long list of aged leadership. Most leaders in Africa are beyond the biblical lifespan of three scores and ten, that is, 70 years.
It is not that there are no old leaders in Europe and America and other lands, they are few. But in Africa, it appears, the older the leader, the wiser and acceptable he will be to the electorate. Africa also has a long list of sit-tight leaders. And the more they remain as sit-tight leaders, the more they age.
They abound in virtually all parts of Africa. They can be found in North, East, West and Southern Africa. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe will take the gold medal as the oldest ruler and sit-tight leader Africa has produced. The 93 year-old Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in the 80s.
He still believes that he is the best thing that has happened to that impoverished country since its independence. As such, Mugabe does not mind if he dies in office because there is nobody fit for leadership outside Mugabe. All the children born in Zimbabwe since independence knew Mugabe as the only leader of the country. With Mugabe on the throne, a Macron can hardly be a reality in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe has many role models before him in the tenure elongation game. From Egypt, Hosni Mubarak ruled the country for 35 years before he was chased out of power by Arab Spring some years ago at the age of 74.  Similarly, Libya’s Col. Muammar Gaddafi, who came to power by force, ruled the country with iron hand for 40 years before he was brutally killed at the age of 70 by Libyan forces.
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria is 80 and has ruled his country since 1999.  After Mugabe, Paul Biya of Cameroon will take the silver medal as among Africa’s longest and oldest sit-tight leaders. Ever since November 6, 1982, Biya has remained the only face of Cameroonian presidency. Biya is 84 and there is no sign that he is going to quit power soon like his distant uncle Mugabe.
Biya relishes power and its aroma so much that leaving the stage for a younger leader is not in the cards. African leaders love power so much that they romance her till they join their ancestors. President Alpha Conde of Guinea is 79 and has ruled his country since 2010.
Also, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea is 71 and has been in power since 1979. Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is 78 while President Jacob Zuma of South Africa is 75. In Angola, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is 75 and has been in power since 1979.
Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni is 73 and has ruled his people since 1986. Our Muhammadu Buhari was elected president in 2015 at the age of 72. He was Nigeria’s military head of state from 1983-85. I can go on and on and the story is the same all over Africa. How can these scenarios produce a Macron?
Apart from having weak political institutions, Africa is inflicted with powerful corruption virus. Another factor that makes it easier for leaders to lord it over their citizens is that Africans are deeply religious and look forward to a utopian after here.
And because of this belief, they care less over what their leaders do and how they are governed. Their leaders use this factor to further exploit and impoverish them the more. That is why sin, especially fornication, is said to be the cause of meningitis in Zamfara State of Nigeria. By extension, sin may be the cause of inflation and poverty and even political corruption and wastages in the country.
For African countries to produce a Macron, the youth should be encouraged and trained to take over the political space. The aging political leaders like Mugabe and Biya should groom and mentor their successors. It is a deep irony that some people the age of Macron in Nigeria and some other African countries are still looking for unavailable jobs or carrying handbags for politicians.
If we should produce the likes of Macron, there is the need to change our politicians’ attitude to politics. Our politics should be issue-oriented. Africa should develop strong political institutions. We should stop producing strong and dictatorial leaders. Our electoral system should be strong and firm. It should not be manipulated. The judiciary should be fearless and remain the last hope of the common man. The electoral umpire must be truly independent. Its officials should be above board and incorruptible.
The monetization of the political and electoral process makes our politics difficult for young people’s participation. The high cost of forms for electoral positions can be a disincentive to any young politician.
How can the youth afford the millions of naira required to purchase forms for governorship and presidential positions in the country. All of this is why African democracy is uninspiring and often dubbed a dirty game that is not fit for bright minds. That is why we cannot produce our Macron so soon.

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