21 African Presidents Who Are Above 70 Years

Africans are peculiar with old age leaders, many of whom are still long-serving Presidents in their countries.


They controlled African policies and stay the lives of millions of African youths on economic, social and political issues.

In Nigeria, There has been so much excitement among youths about a bill christened the Not Too Young to Run sponsored by Honourable Tony Nwuhulu in the the Federal House of Representatives to reduce the age of political office aspirants.

This bill seeks to reduce the ages of political office aspirants in a bid to open up the political space to more youths and have the benefit of their energy and vibrancy in Nigeria’s political space and decision making process. It proposes a reduction of the age for Presidential aspirants from 40 to 30 years; Senatorial and Gubernatorial aspirants from 35 to 30 years and House of Representatives from 30 to 25 years.

Here are 21 African leaders, whose age are above 70 years.

1. Isaias Afwerki – 70 President of Eritrea, a position he has held since its independence in 1993


2. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh – 70 - Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is the President of Djibouti, in office since 1999. Guelleh was first elected as President in 1999 as the handpicked successor to his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had ruled Djibouti since independence in 1977.

3. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita – 71 Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta is a Malian politician who has been President of Mali since 2013.

4. Omar al-Bashir – 72 Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir is the president of Sudan and head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989
5. Pakalitha Mosisili – 72 Mosotho politician who has been Prime Minister of Lesotho since March 2015. He previously served as Prime Minister from May 1998 to June 2012

6. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – 72 Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician who has been President of Uganda since 29 January 1986. He was involved in rebellions that toppled Ugandan leaders Idi Amin and Milton Obote.

7. President-elect Akufo Addo – 72 Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian politician and the President-elect of Ghana. He ran for President of Ghana in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections as the New Patriotic Party(NPP) candidate, but was defeated both times by the NDC candidate: John Atta Mills in 2008 and John Dramani Mahama in 2012

8. Denis Ngueso – 73 Denis Sassou Nguesso is a Congolese politician who has been the President of the Republic of the Congo since 1997; he was previously President from 1979 to 1992.

9. Muhammadu Buhari – 73 is the President of Nigeria, in office since 2015. He is a retired Major General in the Nigerian Army and previously served as the nation's Head of State from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985.

10. Jacob G. Zuma – 74 Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election. He was re-elected in the 2014 election.

11. Alassane Ouattara – 74 Alassane Dramane Ouattara is an Cote d'ivoire politician who has been President of Côte d'Ivoire since 2010.

12. Jose Eduardo dos Santos – 74 José Eduardo dos Santos is an Angolan politician who has been President of Angola since 1979

13. Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo – 74 Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo is an Equatoguinean politician who has been President of Equatorial Guinea since 1979

14. Hage Geingob – 75 Hage Gottfried Geingob is the third and the current President of Namibia, in office since 21 March 2015.

15. Peter Mutharika – 76 Arthur Peter Mutharika is a Malawian politician, educator and lawyer who has been President of Malawi since 31 May 2014.

16. Alpha Condé – 78 Alpha Condé is a Guinean politician who has been President of Guinea since December 2010.

17. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – 78 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the 24th and current President of Liberia, in office since 2006. She served as Minister of Finance under President William Tolbert

18. Abselaziz Bouteflika – 79 Abdelaziz Bouteflika is an Algerian politician who has been the fifth President of Algeria since 1999. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1963 to 1979.

19. Paul Biya – 83 Paul Biya is a Cameroonian politician who has been the President of Cameroon since 6 November 1982

20. Beji Caid Essebsi – 90 Mohamed Beji Caid Essebsi is a Tunisian politician who has been President of Tunisia since December 2014. Previously he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1986 and as Prime Minister from February 2011 to December 2011.

21. Robert Mugabe - 92 Robert Gabriel Mugabe is a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who has governed the Republic of Zimbabwe as its President since 1987, having previously governed as its Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987.