Elderly statesmen like Trump, Mandela, and Biden have successfully held public office, Momodu retorts to Atiku's detractors

Dele Momodu, the Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and a prominent publisher, has rejected calls for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential election, labeling the campaign against him as "unbridled chicanery".

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Momodu's response came on Saturday, as he countered popular activist Zekeri Idris Jnr, a supporter of Peter Obi, who had urged Atiku to step aside and allow younger candidates to take the stage, citing his projected age of 80 by 2027 as a major concern.

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In a post on X, Momodu argued that those targeting Atiku were misdirecting their efforts, as they should be holding the ruling government accountable instead of focusing on the former Vice President.

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Momodu stated that rather than creating videos criticizing Atiku, energy should be spent on addressing the issues with the current government, saying "instead of making videos against the ruling government, you're dissipating energy on a man who has never wronged your preferred candidate".

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Momodu referenced several global leaders who have effectively led their nations at an advanced age, including former US Presidents Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders, as well as 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.

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He pointed out that these leaders "made good use of their age and experience for the betterment of their nations", and rhetorically asked "what disqualifies Alhaji Atiku Abubakar please!".

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The controversy began with a viral video featuring Zekeri Idris Jnr, who wore a green traditional outfit and delivered a nearly two-and-a-half-minute appeal to Atiku's allies, urging them to persuade the former Vice President to withdraw from the race.

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Idris argued that Nigeria's current challenges required a different kind of energy, and that no young Nigerian would vote for an 80-year-old candidate, regardless of their running mate, saying "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".

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Idris also called on Atiku to take on an elder statesman's role, uniting younger contenders such as Obi and former Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, rather than competing against them.

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Atiku, who ran for the presidency on the PDP platform in 2023 and lost to President Bola Tinubu, is reportedly considering running for the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 election.