Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and publisher, Dele Momodu, has pushed back against calls for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step aside from the 2027 presidential race, describing the campaign against him as “unbridled chicanery.”
Momodu’s reaction followed comments by activist Zekeri Idris Jnr, a supporter of Peter Obi, who argued that Atiku should make way for younger candidates, citing his expected age of 80 by the next election.
Responding via a post on X, Momodu criticised those targeting Atiku, saying their focus was misplaced.
“Instead of making videos against the ruling government, you’re dissipating energy on a man who has never wronged your preferred candidate,” the statement read.
To support his position, Momodu pointed to several global figures who held leadership roles at older ages, including Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Muhammadu Buhari, Nelson Mandela, Nana Akufo-Addo, Hillary Clinton, and Joseph Boakai. He said these leaders “made good use of their age and experience for the betterment of their nations.”
“What disqualifies Alhaji Atiku Abubakar please!” Momodu asked.
The debate was sparked by a viral video in which Idris urged Atiku’s supporters to convince him to withdraw from the race. In the clip, he argued that Nigeria’s challenges require younger leadership and insisted that voters would reject an older candidate.
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“If he likes, let him go and bring angels from heaven as his running mate — not even Peter Obi. We won’t vote for an 80-year-old man,” Idris said.
He further suggested that Atiku should instead take on a unifying role by supporting younger contenders like Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party and lost to President Bola Tinubu, is reportedly considering a fresh bid under the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 elections.