Atiku Drops Another Bombshell, Claims Tinubu Is 90, Vows Court Proof
By Akin Alade
As Nigeria gradually moves closer to the 2027 general election, the political battle between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appears to be entering a more confrontational phase, with Atiku once again throwing another explosive claim into the national political space.
Barely after exchanging words with the Presidency over fuel subsidy, border policy, the economy and the direction of the country, Atiku has opened another front, this time questioning President Tinubu’s age and declaring that he is prepared to defend his allegation before a court of law.
The former Vice President, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), claimed during an interview with BBC Hausa that President Tinubu is 90 years old and insisted that he possesses evidence to support the allegation.
The declaration immediately added another dimension to the increasingly intense political exchanges ahead of 2027.
Atiku Drops Fresh Bombshell
Atiku made the controversial assertion while responding to questions surrounding his own age and whether he remains physically capable of leading Nigeria as he approaches 80.
Rather than allowing the age question to dominate discussion about his presidential ambition, the former Vice President turned the spotlight on Tinubu, claiming that the President is considerably older than publicly stated.
When challenged during the interview that Tinubu was not 90, Atiku maintained that he had evidence and was ready to present it in court.
The claim, however, remains an allegation. Available official and public records state that Tinubu was born on March 29, 1952, which would make him 74 in 2026. A recent fact-check found no publicly available evidence supporting Atiku’s claim that the President is 90.
That distinction is important: Atiku says he possesses evidence, but until such evidence is publicly produced and independently verified, the assertion cannot be reported as an established fact.
Atiku Appears Determined to Keep Presidency Under Pressure
The latest controversy reinforces what is becoming an unmistakable feature of the build-up to the 2027 election: Atiku appears determined to keep the Tinubu administration permanently on the defensive.
From fuel subsidy removal and the cost-of-living crisis to insecurity, transportation and border policies, the former Vice President has repeatedly challenged the government’s decisions while presenting himself as an alternative to the incumbent administration.
In the same interview, Atiku questioned what happened to savings from the removal of petrol subsidy and argued that such resources should have been deployed to tackle poverty, insecurity, education challenges and youth unemployment. He also defended his fitness and experience to seek Nigeria’s highest office again.
His latest age allegation therefore looks set to deepen an already fierce media and political confrontation between the opposition leader and the Presidency.
Tinubu Camp Fires Back
The claim did not go unanswered.
Reno Omokri, Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, rejected Atiku’s assertion, insisting that Tinubu is nowhere close to 90.
Omokri referred to a photograph reportedly taken of Tinubu and veteran journalist Dele Momodu in London in 1996, arguing that if Tinubu were presently 90, he would have been about 60 when the photograph was taken. He subsequently urged political actors to concentrate more on issues affecting Nigerians.
The Presidency has simultaneously been battling Atiku on another front following his pledge concerning Nigeria’s land borders. Presidential adviser Sunday Dare maintained that most land borders had already been reopened and challenged the opposition candidate to provide detailed policy alternatives rather than campaign declarations.
2027 Contest Moving Beyond Policy Debate
What started largely as disagreement over economic policies is increasingly developing into a broader political confrontation.
Atiku has attacked Tinubu’s handling of subsidy removal, transportation costs and insecurity, while the Presidency has repeatedly challenged the former Vice President’s proposals and questioned the substance of his alternatives.
Now, the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s age introduces an intensely personal dimension.
Whether Atiku eventually produces the evidence he claims to possess could determine whether the allegation develops into a serious legal and political controversy or remains another heated claim in Nigeria’s increasingly charged pre-election environment.
One thing, however, is becoming clearer: the road to 2027 may be anything but quiet.
With Atiku apparently unwilling to allow the Tinubu administration political breathing space and the Presidency equally prepared to respond to his attacks, Nigerians could witness an increasingly fierce war of words as the presidential contest gathers momentum.
For Atiku, the latest declaration is another political bombshell. For Tinubu’s camp, it is another allegation requiring a response. For Nigerians, the bigger question will ultimately be whether the 2027 contest will be decided by controversies surrounding personalities or by competing solutions to insecurity, inflation, unemployment, energy costs and other challenges confronting the country.
