Reno Omokri, Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, has challenged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s claim that President Bola Tinubu is 90 years old.
Omokri also called on journalist and publisher Dele Momodu to confirm the authenticity of a photograph he said showed Momodu with Tinubu in London in 1996.
The dispute followed an interview Atiku granted the BBC, in which the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate claimed that Tinubu was 90 and said he had evidence to support the assertion.
Atiku made the claim while explaining why he believed he remained capable of contesting the 2027 presidential election despite his age.
When the interviewer pointed out that Tinubu was not publicly known to be 90, Atiku maintained that he had evidence and would present it in court.
Responding on Friday, Omokri shared a photograph purportedly taken in London in 1996 showing Tinubu alongside Momodu.
He argued that if Tinubu were 90 in 2026, he would have been 60 when the photograph was taken three decades earlier.
Omokri urged the public to examine the image and questioned whether Tinubu appeared to be 60 at the time it was allegedly taken.
He also challenged Momodu to verify when and where the photograph was taken, noting that Momodu was still alive and could testify to its authenticity.
Omokri further referred to Momodu’s previous accounts of his relationship with Tinubu during his period in exile under the late military ruler, Sani Abacha.
He argued that political disagreements should not prevent public figures from addressing what they believe to be inaccurate claims about people they once considered friends or benefactors.
The ambassador-designate also urged politicians and their supporters to focus the 2027 campaign on issues affecting Nigerians rather than personal attacks over age.
He said political discussions should centre on practical solutions to the country’s challenges and the qualities required to govern Nigeria.
Tinubu’s publicly stated date of birth is March 29, 1952, which puts his age at 74 in 2026. Questions surrounding his age and academic history have featured in Nigerian political debates over the years, although the President has maintained the personal details contained in his official records.
Atiku, meanwhile, has defended his decision to seek the presidency again, saying he remains physically capable and constitutionally entitled to contest.
The former vice-president also argued that his experience in government and what he described as his competence and patriotism qualified him to seek the presidency in 2027.
He further criticised the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity and said an administration led by him would work to significantly reduce insurgency and other security threats within its first year.
ALSO READ: 2027 Presidency: Atiku Dismisses Age Concerns, Defends Fitness