Nigeria: 'Do I Look 80?' - Atiku Dismisses Age Concerns Ahead of Presidential Election

What the report says

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, pushed back against questions about his age in an interview with BBC Hausa, saying he is fit and healthy ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election. The exchange came after he was asked whether he would be able to govern effectively given that he would be close to 80 by the time of the vote.

According to Vanguard’s report carried by AllAfrica, Atiku responded by challenging the suggestion that age would limit his performance and rejecting the idea that he looked too old for the job. He also referred to President Bola Tinubu in the discussion, though the publication notes the interviewer corrected his age comparison.

Atiku also addressed speculation about tensions within the opposition, saying it was inaccurate to describe him as an obstacle to coalition efforts. He said he had initiated the alliance himself and argued that the departures of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso did not mean the wider opposition project had ended.

The comments matter because Atiku remains one of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures, and age, leadership capacity and coalition politics are likely to be important issues as the 2027 race develops. In general, the story reflects the broader debate in Nigerian politics over succession, unity among opposition parties and the role of veteran politicians.