Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has made a fresh claim about President Bola Tinubu’s age, saying he possesses evidence that the Nigerian leader is 90 years old and is prepared to present it in court.
Atiku, who is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, made the statement during an interview with the BBC while responding to questions about his own age and decision to contest the presidency again.
The former vice president argued that his age should not prevent him from seeking the presidency, pointing to what he described as his physical fitness and readiness to serve.
“You have a President who is 90 years old now and sick and I am healthy and strong. So why won’t I make myself available to serve my country?” Atiku said.
When asked about the basis for his assertion concerning Tinubu’s age, Atiku insisted that he had evidence and could substantiate his claim through the courts.
“I have evidence that he is [90], and I will present it in court,” he added.
The claim has generated fresh political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election. However, publicly available biographical records list Tinubu’s date of birth as March 29, 1952, which would make him 74 years old in August 2026. No independently verified evidence supporting Atiku’s 90-year-old claim was presented during the interview.
Reno Omokri, Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, has already challenged the claim. He referenced a photograph purportedly showing Tinubu with journalist Dele Momodu in London in 1996 and called for its authenticity and date to be confirmed.
The development comes as political parties and opposition groups intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential contest.
Atiku, who has contested Nigeria’s presidency several times, is now seeking the presidency under the ADC platform as opposition forces work toward challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The age controversy is therefore likely to remain part of the broader political debate as the 2027 election approaches, although Atiku’s claim remains unverified unless the evidence he referenced is formally presented and independently established.
