A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has pushed back against mounting calls for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step aside ahead of the 2027 presidential race.

Atiku, who will be 80 by the time the next election takes place, has been taunted by critics on account of his age.

But weighing into the issue, Momodu, a staunch loyalist of Atiku, dismissed the campaign as “unbridled chicanery.”

Momodu’s reaction followed criticism from activist Zekeri Idris Jnr, who argued that Atiku’s projected age of 80 by 2027 makes him unsuitable for the presidency.

In the viral video in which Idris, dressed in green traditional attire, he urged Atiku’s allies to persuade him to withdraw from the race in favour of younger contenders.

In the video, which lasted nearly two and a half minutes, Idris contended that Nigeria’s current challenges require a new generation of leadership and insisted that young voters would reject an 80 year old candidate regardless of political alliances.

“If he likes, let him bring angels as running mates – not even Peter Obi – we won’t vote for an 80 year old man,” he said.

Idris further called on Atiku to assume the role of an elder statesman by rallying support for younger aspirants, including Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, instead of contesting the presidency himself.

However in a statement shared on social media, Momodu said critics were misplacing priorities by targeting Atiku rather than holding the ruling government accountable.

“Instead of making videos against the ruling government, you’re dissipating energy on a man who has never wronged your preferred candidate,” he said.

The publisher and politician bolstered his argument by citing a list of global leaders who held office or remained politically active at advanced ages.

Among those he referenced were former United States Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, US senator Bernie Sanders, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Others are South Africa’s anti apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, former Ghanaian leader Nana Akufo-Addo, former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and Liberian President Joseph Boakai.

The former Vice President argued that these figures demonstrated that age could be an asset rather than a limitation when combined with experience and leadership capacity.

“What disqualifies Alhaji Atiku Abubakar?” Momodu asked.

Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is widely reported to be positioning for another run in 2027, this time under the African Democratic Congress. (Daily Trust)

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