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World leaders are getting older—except in democracies

Advances in medicine over the past 50 years have allowed leaders to live longer, with 11 autocrats today aged over 75.

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(The Economist)

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The advanced age of many world leaders came into sharp focus in 2024 when 81-year-old Joe Biden was pressed to withdraw from America’s presidential race over concerns about his mental acuity. Americans then elected Donald Trump who, at 78, is no spring chicken.

Mr Biden is far from the world’s oldest leader. Paul Biya, who has led Cameroon since 1982, is now 91 years old. Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ⁷2.

The world’s two most populous countries, China and India, also have leaders in their 70s.Going into 2025, the world’s leaders are, on average, older than ever. Over the past five decades, the average age of all leaders has risen from 55 to 62.

The trend in democratic countries, however, is the opposite. The average age of freely elected leaders is 59, a bit younger than fifty years ago.

In 1975, no democratic country’s leader was under 45. Today, three are.Some are older, too: in 1975, no leader of a democratic country was older than 75.

Now five have passed this milestone, including Mr Biden and his successor.America is an outlier among democracies. Not only is it electing older presidents, its legislators are the oldest in the world.

The new administration is unlikely to change that.Meanwhile, the worldwide trend toward ageing leaders is largely being driven by autocracies.

The average dictator is now 64—12 years older than in 1975. This isn’t surprising, as autocratic leaders have historically been reluctant to give up power.

Advances in medicine over the past 50 years have allowed leaders to live longer, with 11 autocrats today aged over 75.

But the same forces letting leaders live longer affect the general population, too.

While the average leader is seven years older than 50 years ago, the average age of citizens has risen by eleven years.Older leaders are not necessarily a problem.

Experience can bring wisdom. But slowing down, physically and mentally, is inevitable with age.

Research has found older politicians are less concerned with the needs of the young, and spend less on child welfare and more on benefits for seniors.

The increase in life expectancy around the world, together with the stalling of birth rates, means that leaders have on average become more like the populations they govern.

In the years ahead, expect world leaders to become increasingly grey.

In 1975 the average age gap between leaders and their subjects was 42 years; now it is 39. But the rest of the world will be greying with them.

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Police must pay transport fares, says AIG

” No police officer has the right to enter your vehicle without paying. We should assist one another willingly, not by force,” he said.

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The Assistant Inspector-General of Police(AIG) in charge of Zone 2 Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, speaking with transporters at Obalende garage, Lagos State, on Wednesday.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, has declared that officers must pay fares before boarding commercial vehicles, warning against abuse of authority.

Jimoh spoke on Wednesday at Obalende garage during a sensitisation meeting with drivers and transport workers marking National Police Day 2026.

He stressed that relations between police and the public must be based on partnership, not coercion, urging both sides to support each other voluntarily.

“No police officer has the right to enter your vehicle without paying. We should assist one another willingly, not by force,” he said.

Jimoh called for stronger cooperation to maintain safety and order on roads, insisting there was no conflict between officers and transport unions.

“I don’t collect money from officers. We don’t arrest people arbitrarily. If you have issues with any officer, report directly to me,” he said.

(Vanguard)

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Tinubu scurries to Jos after Mutfwang’s security brief

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will leave for Jos tomorrow to commiserate with the state government and residents over recent deadly gun attacks that lefts dozens dead.

This was following Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s security briefing to the President on the recent violent attack in Angwan Rukuba, Plateau State.

During the meeting on Wednesday at the presidential villa in Abuja, Governor Caleb Mutfwang told Mr President that although security forces have restored calm after fresh disturbances involving looters on Wednesday morning, following the deadly Palm Sunday attack that left more than a dozen dead and many others injured.

He said that investigations are continuing to determine the identities or motives of the attackers who are yet to be apprehended .

Presidency source said that President Tinubu was initially scheduled for a planned trip to Ogun State to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport on Thursday.

From Jos, the President will travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday.

On Saturday, April 4, he will visit Ogun State to commission projects including the cargo airport.

He will then return to Lagos during the Easter holiday to commission several state infrastructure projects, including the Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge.

Before heading back to Abuja, the president will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission projects completed under Governor Duoye Diri.

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JUST IN: Tinubu Heads to Jos Tomorrow, Postpones Ogun Trip for 5-State Visits

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will tomorrow embark on a visit to Jos, Plateau State, as the first leg of a five-state tour across the country.

The Presidency announced that the President has postponed his scheduled trip to Ogun State to enable him to commence the series of official visits.

Details of the remaining four states in the tour are expected to be released by the Presidency in due course.

The development comes as President Tinubu continues nationwide engagements aimed at assessing development projects, interacting with stakeholders, and addressing key national issues in the respective states.

Further updates on the itinerary will be communicated as the visits progress.

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