Atiku claims Tinubu is 90, says he will prove age in court

PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is 90 years old, saying he possesses evidence to support the allegation.

Atiku made the claim during an interview with the BBC while defending his decision to seek the presidency again despite his age and previous attempts to lead the country.

According to the former vice-president, he remains physically fit and believes his experience and capacity qualify him to serve as president.

“I 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.

He added that he was prepared to provide what he described as evidence of Tinubu’s age before a court.

“I have evidence that he is 90, and I will present it in court,” he said.

Atiku also recounted his long political career, saying his attempts to contest for governor during Nigeria’s transition from military rule were repeatedly frustrated by the military authorities.

He said he contested the governorship four times but was disqualified whenever he emerged victorious, adding that the situation eventually forced him into exile following an attempt on his life.

Atiku said his repeated attempts to become president should not be viewed as unusual, arguing that his political experience, competence and patriotism remain relevant to his decision to contest.

“I’ve never found anything easy in my life,” he said. “I have the experience, I have the competence, I have the patriotism. So why would I not make all this available to the service of my country?”

On insecurity, the ADC candidate blamed the prolonged crisis on what he described as government irresponsibility and inadequate investment in security.

He argued that Nigeria’s security agencies lack sufficient personnel to effectively police the country’s large population.

Atiku recalled raising the issue while he was in government, saying Nigeria had more than 200 million people but fewer than 200,000 policemen.

He contrasted this with Egypt, which he said had about 80 million people and one million policemen, arguing that stronger security personnel numbers could help restore peace.

Atiku said he believes Nigeria could significantly reduce insurgency and insecurity within a year if adequate attention and resources were devoted to the country’s security challenges.