Nigeria, Sept. 21 -- The contest for the presidency of Nigeria in the election on 11 August 1979 was between five candidates. Nnamdi Azikiwe of the Nigerian Peoples Party was born on 16 November 1904. On election day in 1974, he was over 74 years. Obafemi Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria was over 70. He was born on 6 March 1909. Aminu Kano of the Peoples' Redemption Party was born on 9 August 1920. He was 58. Shehu Shagari, the candidate of the National Party of Nigeria, was born 25 February 1925. He was 54. That was one year older than Waziri Ibrahim of the Great Nigerian Peoples' Party who was born on 26 February 1926.

All of them were active in the politics of Nigeria before independence. Their average age in August 1979 was just...