Kaduna and Lagos — Former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has called on former military Heads of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and General Ibrahim Babangida, and a former Vice-President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who are currently eyeing the nation's presidency next year to quit the stage for the younger generation.

Ribadu also asked the Nigerian youth to ask young Nigerians to wrest political power from them and charged them never again to allow corrupt leaders at the helm of affairs in the land.

He asked young Nigerians to rise against corrupt leaders currently in the corridors of power, just as he challenged them to take their destiny in their hands by ensuring that they elect leaders that are not corrupt in the forthcoming elections.

Ribadu, in a paper entitled, "Faith, Political Engagement And The

Nigerian Youth," at the Kaduna community town hall meeting with Nigerian youths, organized by Christian Awareness Initiative of Nigeria (CHAIN), added that the older generations led Nigeria at a very young age and wondered why they want to prevent the younger generation from taking their turn.

He said instead of the old horse that had dominated the nation's political turf to attempt to remain there, the time for young Nigerians to take their rightful place in the leadership of the country had come...

He urged the youths to register when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commences the registration of voters for the 2011 elections.

"Let us register to vote en mass, let us vote en mass and let us defend our votes by all means. We must demand for competent people and not corrupt people for good governance," he advised.

"Dear compatriots, as I said at the 76th birthday anniversary of Professor Wole Soyinka recently in Lagos, 50 years of our federalism and less of our democracy pose the challenge of what can be an endless rite of passage, if a new vision is not allowed to take over our political space.

"From industry, through civil society, to the world of research and development, towards the important crucible of leadership, politics and management of development, I call on fellow young Nigerians today to bury the preoccupation with anger, cynicism and inertia and move in the direction of taking control of the destiny of our nation."