Momodu Defends Atiku’s 2027 Ambition, Dismisses Age Criticism

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A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dele Momodu, has rejected calls for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step aside ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting that age should not disqualify him from contesting.

Momodu made the remarks in a statement shared on social media while reacting to criticisms that Atiku, who will be 80 by 2027, is too old to run for president.

The criticism was amplified by activist Zekeri Idris Jnr in a viral video, where he urged Atiku’s allies to convince him to withdraw from the race in favour of younger candidates. Idris argued that Nigeria’s challenges require a new generation of leadership and maintained that young voters would reject an 80 year old candidate regardless of political alliances.

In response, Momodu described the campaign against Atiku as misplaced and accused critics of ignoring the performance of the ruling government. He said energy should be directed at holding those in power accountable rather than targeting an opposition figure.

To support his position, Momodu cited several global leaders who held office or remained politically active at advanced ages, including former United States Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, South African icon Nelson Mandela, former Ghanaian leader Nana Akufo Addo, former United States presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and Liberian President Joseph Boakai.

He argued that these examples show that age can be an asset when combined with experience and leadership capacity, questioning what disqualifies Atiku from contesting.

Atiku, who ran in the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party and lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is widely reported to be preparing for another bid in 2027 under the African Democratic Congress.

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