The Labour Party’s presidential flagbearer for the 2023 election, Peter Obi, says Nigeria needs a competent leader with both mental and physical energy.

In an interview with Chude Jideonwo posted on Tuesday, when asked why he berated Mr Tinubu as sick, Mr Obi said the generation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2023 presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, should quit leadership for young Nigerians.

Clarifying an earlier statement he made about Mr Tinubu being too sick to be president, Mr Obi said “The only thing I’m saying is where we are today requires somebody with a character we can trust, competence, capacity, commitment.

“It is a job that requires physical and mental energy, because the country is in a mess. And we need to deal with it. It’s a 24-hour job,” the LP presidential candidate added.

The former Anambra governor said though the likes of Mr Tinubu have contributed to governance, it was time for them to quit and allow better leaders to emerge.

“Tinubu is my respected elder brother and of course I respect him for who he is. Everyone has contributed one way or the other in the past and they have to be respected and recognised in due time, but I just tried to explain that they contributed in the past and everything doesn’t necessarily mean that oh well they have to stay forever and ever.

“It’s like Brazil today. They recognise that Pele was sometime a star, but they’re not going to field him in today’s match. Things have to move on,” Mr Obi said.

The health status of the APC presidential candidate has continued to generate concerns about his suitability for headship of Africa’s most populous nation.

In February, Peoples Gazette published a video revealing how Mr Tinubu’s flowing garment was soaked from behind while his security aide covered his nose; a development that would insinuate that the politician was suffering from incontinence.

Mr Tinubu, 70, however, dismissed criticisms about his frail health, saying he does not need physical strength to be Nigeria’s president.