Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is 90 years old, despite the president’s publicly documented date of birth indicating that he is 74.
Atiku made the claim during an interview with the BBC while explaining his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election despite concerns about his own age.
Tinubu’s officially stated date of birth is March 29, 1952, which puts his age at 74 as of August 2026. However, Atiku insisted that the president is significantly older and said he possesses documents or other evidence that he intends to present in court.
“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.
When questioned about the basis for his assertion, the former vice president maintained that he would be able to substantiate it.
“I have evidence that he is [90], and I will present it in court,” he said.
Atiku’s comments came as he defended his decision to seek the presidency again in 2027. He argued that age should not prevent him from seeking public office, stressing that he remains physically fit, energetic and capable of serving the country.
The former vice president described his presidential ambitions as part of a long political journey, saying he has repeatedly encountered obstacles in his efforts to attain political office.
According to Atiku, he attempted to contest for governor on four occasions during Nigeria’s transition from military rule to democracy but was prevented from doing so by military authorities.
“I ran for governor four times, because at that position, the people who were in charge of Nigeria’s transition to democracy were military, and I was so anti-military. Any time I won, they would disqualify me,” he said.
He also recalled an incident in which he claimed his life was threatened, forcing him to leave Nigeria and live in exile.
“The last was when there was even an attempt on my life, and I went into exile,” Atiku said.
He maintained that the difficulties he encountered throughout his political career had not discouraged him from pursuing his ambitions.
“I’ve never found anything easy in my life. There is nothing new there,” he said.
Omokri Questions Atiku’s Age Claim
Reacting to Atiku’s allegation, Reno Omokri, Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, challenged the former vice president to substantiate the claim.
Omokri drew attention to a photograph he said showed Tinubu with journalist and publisher Dele Momodu in London in 1996.
According to Omokri, if Tinubu were 90 years old in 2026, he would have been approximately 60 when the photograph was taken.
He subsequently called on Momodu to confirm the authenticity of the photograph and provide details about when and where it was taken.
Omokri questioned whether Tinubu appeared to be 60 years old in the image and argued that the controversy over the president’s age should not overshadow substantive issues ahead of the 2027 election.
He also referred to Momodu’s previous accounts of Tinubu’s support for him during his period of exile under the administration of the late military ruler Sani Abacha.
While acknowledging that political figures are entitled to support whichever candidate they choose, Omokri said public debate should remain focused on issues that matter to Nigerians.
He urged politicians and their supporters to avoid what he described as personal attacks and instead concentrate on developing solutions to the country’s economic, political and security challenges.
Atiku Promises Action on Insecurity
Beyond the controversy over Tinubu’s age, Atiku used the BBC interview to discuss Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
The ADC presidential candidate blamed the persistence of insurgency and insecurity on what he described as inadequate government attention to the country’s security institutions.
He argued that Nigeria’s growing population has not been matched by sufficient investment in policing and other security agencies.
Atiku recalled raising concerns while he was in government about the number of police officers available to serve a population of more than 200 million people.
“I remember when we were in office, I told the president that, look, we are over 200 million people and yet we have less than 200,000 policemen,” he said.
He compared Nigeria’s security manpower with that of Egypt, arguing that the North African country had a substantially larger police force relative to its population.
Atiku said a combination of improved manpower, equipment and stronger security institutions could substantially reduce insurgency and other security threats.
He expressed confidence that a determined government could make significant progress within its first year in office.
“Believe me, within one year, we can control this insurgency and insecurity that is all over the place,” he said.
With the 2027 general election approaching, Atiku is expected to face competition from several other politicians seeking to challenge President Tinubu.
The former vice president has presented his experience, physical fitness and long involvement in Nigerian politics as key reasons for his decision to make another presidential bid, while his opponents are likely to continue raising questions about his age and political record.
The dispute over Tinubu’s age, meanwhile, adds another potentially contentious issue to an already increasingly competitive 2027 political landscape.