Reno Omokri, Ambassador-designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, has challenged Atiku Abubakar’s claim that President Bola Tinubu is 90 years old.
Omokri, in a statement on Friday, also challenged journalist and publisher, Dele Momodu, to testify to the authenticity of a photograph he said was taken with Tinubu in London in 1996.
The intervention came after Atiku, in a BBC interview published on Friday, claimed that Tinubu was 90 years old and said he had evidence to prove the allegation in court.
Atiku had said, “I have a president who is 90 years old now, and who is sick, and I am healthy, I am strong, so why would I not make my services available to my fellow countrymen?”
When the interviewer challenged the claim, noting that Tinubu was not yet 90 and that his age could not be confirmed or denied, Atiku replied, “I have evidence that he is, and I will present it in court.”
Reacting to the claim, Omokri posted a photograph purportedly showing Tinubu and Momodu in London in 1996, arguing that the image raised questions about the allegation that the President was 90.
He said, “This is a photo of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dele Momodu taken in London in 1996. If Asiwaju is indeed 90 years old, as recently alleged, then Dele Momodu must be in his eighties.
“Look at the photo yourself. I have not altered it in any way. Dele Momodu is alive to testify to the authenticity of this photograph and the date and place where it was taken.”
Omokri then questioned whether Tinubu appeared to be 60 years old in the photograph, arguing that if the President were 90 in 2026, he would have been 60 when the photograph was allegedly taken 30 years ago.
“Does His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, look like a sixty-year-old in this photo?” he asked.
He added, “If Asiwaju is indeed ninety years of age, then he would have been sixty when this photo was taken exactly thirty years ago.
“I urge objective Nigerians and citizens of the world to again look at this photo. Does the gentleman on the right look sixty? Does he even look fifty?”
Omokri also appealed to Momodu, recalling the latter’s previous comments about Tinubu’s support for him during his exile from the regime of the late military dictator, Sani Abacha.
“I remind Dele Momodu that, by his own admission, Asiwaju was good to him when he was in exile from the Abacha regime.
“Mr Momodu is free to support whichever candidate he chooses. But will it be morally acceptable for Dele Momodu to watch idly by as a man who was once his benefactor, and who he once referred to as his friend, is being accused of being a nonagenarian suffering from ill health?” he said.
Omokri said political campaigns should focus on issues affecting Nigerians rather than what he described as attempts to “age-shame” political opponents.
“Perhaps we can raise the bar for this election by raising issues germane to the Nigerian people and brainstorming ideas to resolve the challenges plaguing our polity.
“But to age-shame people with ages that are not even theirs is to reduce the discussion about who governs Nigeria to an unbecoming level,” he said.
Tinubu, 74, according to his publicly stated date of birth, was born on March 29, 1952. The President has previously faced questions and controversies over his age and academic records, although he has consistently maintained his stated personal details.
Meanwhile, Atiku, who emerged as the ADC presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election, said he remained fit and capable of contesting for the presidency.
The former vice president said, “Why should you question me on my right? It is my constitutional right. I am strong, I am healthy, I am agile.”
Atiku said his experience, competence and patriotism were among the reasons he believed he was qualified to lead Nigeria.
He also criticised the Federal Government over insecurity, arguing that inadequate manpower and equipment had weakened the country’s security architecture.
The former vice president promised that if elected in 2027, his administration would tackle insurgency and insecurity within its first year in office.
“I believe within one year they should be able to see that. And believe me, within one year, we can control this insurgency and insecurity that is all over the place,” Atiku said.
(Punch)
