ADC presidential candidate questions age concerns, says experience and fitness should matter more in 2027 race.
Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is 90 years old, saying he has evidence to support the allegation and would present it in court.
Atiku made the claim in an interview with the BBC while responding to questions about his age and his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election.“You have a president who is 90 years old now, and who is sick. I am healthy; I am strong. So why would I not make my services available to my fellow countrymen?” Atiku said.Pressed on the basis of his assertion about Tinubu’s age, Atiku said he had evidence and was prepared to take it to court.“
I have evidence that he is [90], and I will present it in court,” he said.Atiku did not present the evidence during the interview.The age controversy arose as Atiku defended his decision to seek the presidency again despite concerns over his age. He argued that his political experience, competence and patriotism were more important considerations than age alone.
Atiku, who served as vice-president between 1999 and 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has contested the presidency several times. He was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections and is now seeking the presidency on the platform of the ADC ahead of the 2027 election. He also pointed to his political history and opposition to military rule as reasons for his continued pursuit of the presidency.
According to Atiku, his repeated attempts to become president should not be interpreted simply as personal ambition, but as an expression of his desire and constitutional right to serve the country. The ADC candidate also criticised the Tinubu administration over Nigeria’s security situation, blaming what he described as failures in defence and policing for the country’s worsening insecurity.He promised that, if elected president, his administration would take decisive measures to address insurgency and insecurity.
Atiku expressed confidence that significant progress could be achieved within his first year in office. His comments come as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Atiku positioning himself as one of the leading opposition challengers to President Tinubu.
For now, however, the claim that President Tinubu is 90 years old remains an allegation. The evidence Atiku says he possesses has yet to be publicly presented or independently verified.
