Momodu Rejects Calls For Atiku To Quit 2027 Race
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and veteran publisher, Dele Momodu, has dismissed mounting calls for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step aside from the 2027 presidential contest, describing the campaign as “unbridled chicanery.”
Momodu issued the response on Saturday via a post on X, directly addressing a viral video by activist Zekeri Idris Jnr, a known supporter of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi. Idris had urged Atiku’s allies to persuade the former vice president to abandon his presidential ambition, arguing that his projected age of 80 by 2027 rendered him unsuitable for the demands of Nigeria’s highest office.
In his appeal, Idris stated that “no young Nigerian would vote for an 80-year-old candidate,” adding: “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.” He further called on Atiku to adopt the role of an elder statesman by uniting younger contenders such as Obi and former Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Momodu, however, countered that those agitating against Atiku were misdirecting their energies. “Instead of making videos against the ruling government, you’re dissipating energy on a man who has never wronged your preferred candidate,” his post read.
The publisher proceeded to list a series of global leaders whom he said had governed effectively at advanced ages, including former United States Presidents Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders; former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; former President Muhammadu Buhari; South Africa’s Nelson Mandela; former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo; former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; and Liberian President Joseph Boakai. According to Momodu, these figures “made good use of their age and experience for the betterment of their nations.”
“What disqualifies Alhaji Atiku Abubakar please!” Momodu asked rhetorically.
Atiku Abubakar, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and lost to President Bola Tinubu, is widely reported to be considering the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 polls. The former vice president will be 80 years old by the time of the next general election.
The exchange highlights ongoing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition space as political activities gather momentum in the lead-up to 2027. Atiku has yet to publicly declare his intentions regarding the next presidential race.