NEWS
“Tinubu Is 90 Years Old, I Have Evidence I’ll Present in Court“ — ADC Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Claims
Former Vice President and 2027 presidential hopeful, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has reignited debate over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s age and fitness for office, claiming that he has evidence to support his assertion that the President is 90 years old.
Atiku, who is seeking the presidency under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the remarks while defending his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election despite his previous attempts and his age.
The former Vice President argued that his age should not be used to question his eligibility or capacity to seek the country’s highest political office. According to him, what matters is his physical fitness, experience and willingness to serve Nigerians.
“We have a president who is 90 years old now and who is sick, and I am healthy. I am strong. So why would I not make my services available to my fellow countrymen?“ Atiku said.
When told that President Tinubu is not yet 90, Atiku maintained that he possesses evidence to back up his claim and indicated that he would be prepared to produce it before a court if necessary.
“Well, I have evidence, I have evidence that he is. And I will present it in court,“ he replied.
The claim adds another dimension to the increasingly intense political contest ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the age, health and capacity of presidential contenders expected to remain subjects of political debate.
Atiku also pushed back against criticism of his repeated attempts to become Nigeria’s president, describing his long political journey as one marked by persistence and several obstacles.
He said his political history dates back several decades and recalled contesting for governor on multiple occasions before eventually moving into national politics.
“I have been on the ballot two times, or three times. Let me give you my political history.
“I ran for governor four times, because at that position, the people who were in charge of our transition to democracy were military, and I was so anti-military.
“And any time I won, they would disqualify me; any time I won, they would disqualify me,“ h.e said
According to him, his political journey was not without serious personal risks, including an alleged attempt on his life that eventually forced him into exile.
He added, “The last was when there was even an attempt on my life, and I went into exile. So I’ve never found anything easy in my life.”
Atiku argued that repeated participation in presidential elections should not be interpreted as an indication that he lacks the right to seek the presidency. Rather, he described his continued ambition as part of his constitutional entitlement to contest for public office.
“Because I’m contesting the presidency two or three times, that’s not anything unusual in my life, in my political life.
“Why should you question me on my right? It is my constitutional right. I am strong. I am healthy. I am agile. Why do you bother about my constitutional rights?” he said.
Explaining why he believes he remains the right candidate to lead Nigeria, Atiku pointed to what he described as the country’s current challenges.
Asked why he believes he is the best candidate, he responded, “Because things are not going right. Things are not going right.”
He further highlighted his experience, competence and patriotism as qualities he believes could be deployed in the service of the country if given the opportunity to lead.
He added, “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?”
The ADC presidential candidate also identified insecurity as one of the major challenges confronting Nigeria, arguing that the country’s defence and security architecture requires additional manpower and better equipment.
“The defence is undermanned. In other words, we have not enough boots on ground in this country. There are not good equipment,“ Atiku said.
He promised that his administration would move quickly to tackle insurgency and insecurity if elected president in 2027, insisting that Nigerians would begin to see measurable changes within the first year of his administration.
Atiku promised that if elected, “within one year they should be able to see that, and believe me, within one year we can control this insurgency and insecurity that is all over the place.”
His comments come as political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election continue to gather momentum, with political parties and presidential contenders increasingly outlining their positions on security, governance, the economy and the suitability of those seeking to lead the country.