A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council’s media team, Segun Showunmi, has stated that the job of a president is not physical fitness.
NEWSNGR reports that Showunmi said this while reacting to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s fitness challenge.
Recall that Makinde, gave the challenge at the APM presidential campaign on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
He said “While I will not make age an issue in this campaign, I will make energy an issue. We need a leader who has the energy to stay up late, withstand the rigours of the office and tackle the challenges facing our country.
“So please, when they bring their own presidential candidates, let the candidates come here and also jump up, if they can do that, vote for them.”
Reacting during an interview on TVC News’ Beyond The Headlines on Monday, Showunmi argued that physical strength is not a major requirement for effective presidential leadership.
He argued that the ability to think clearly, develop policies and provide direction should matter more in assessing a president than physical fitness or the capacity to engage in physical activities.
“The work of a president is not to be doing physical exercise or be fighting Kung Fu,” Showunmi said.
He argued that the demands of the presidency require intellectual capacity and strategic thinking, noting that the institution has sufficient personnel and infrastructure to handle physical tasks.
“What you are looking for in a president is his brain.
“The president is not even supposed to lift a chair to sit down. There’s enough infrastructure around the presidency to help him with all of the hard work. But nobody can help a president with thinking,” he said.
According to Showunmi, a president’s ability to establish a clear national direction and develop the framework for achieving set objectives is more important than physical prowess.
He also cited examples of leaders who had disabilities but were still able to occupy positions of authority, arguing that physical limitations should not automatically disqualify anyone from leadership.
