Veteran journalist, publisher, and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Dele Momodu has strongly defended former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against calls for him to step aside from the 2027 presidential race due to his age.
Momodu described the campaign against Atiku who would be around 80 years old by 2027—as “unbridled chicanery.”
He accused critics of wasting energy attacking a fellow opposition figure instead of focusing on holding the current administration accountable.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Momodu fired back at activist and Peter Obi supporter Zekeri Idris Jnr, who had released a viral video urging Atiku to bow out gracefully and play the role of an elder statesman by uniting younger politicians like Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Momodu’s Key ArgumentMomodu pointed to several world leaders who ran for or held high office successfully at advanced ages, leveraging their experience for national development:
Donald Trump and Joe Biden (United States)
Nelson Mandela (South Africa)
Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria)
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia)
Nana Akufo-Addo (Ghana)
Joseph Boakai (current Liberian President)
Others like Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton
“What disqualifies Alhaji Atiku Abubakar please!” Momodu asked rhetorically, arguing that age and experience should not be used as weapons against competent leaders.
The exchange was sparked by Idris’s nearly 2½-minute video appeal, in which he declared that Nigerians, especially the youth, would not vote for an 80-year-old candidate “even if he brings angels from heaven as running mate not even Peter Obi.”
Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform and lost to President Bola Tinubu, is reportedly considering the ADC ticket for 2027.
Momodu’s intervention highlights the ongoing debate within Nigeria’s opposition circles about leadership renewal versus experience as the country prepares for the next general elections.
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