From Trump to Atiku: Debunking the Myth That Age Defines Leadership Capacity

By Dr. Sani Sa’idu Baba

Nigerian politics has once again become a playground for cheap propaganda, and His Excellency Atiku Abubakar GCON has become the latest victim of an age-based smear campaign. His opponents, unable to challenge his superior ideas, policies, and proven leadership capacity, have resorted to attacking his age and health. But like most political noise, these claims crumble under the weight of facts.

Like Chief Dele Momodu used to say; “Everybody is afraid of Atiku, and that is exactly why I, Dele Momodu, support him. The fear the ruling party has for him shows he remains the most formidable opposition figure today. When everyone is trying to discredit or silence a man, it means he’s the one they truly fear.” Hence, they are desperate to ignite a smear campaign as their only option, this time around using his age and health.

A recent revelation from the United States offers a powerful comparison. President Donald Trump, now 79, was declared by his medical team to be in excellent health after a routine examination. His “cardiac age” was found to be 14 years younger than his actual age, the heart of a 65-year-old man. This proves a simple point: biological age and physical capability are not the same. Health is not about numbers; it’s about vitality, endurance, and mental sharpness.

Atiku Abubakar, by all available evidence, embodies those qualities. He remains active, articulate, mentally alert, and physically fit. He attends events, travels widely, grants interviews, and speaks with clarity on national issues. Nigerians who have seen him in action know that he looks stronger and healthier than many of his political contemporaries including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and several sitting African leaders who are visibly less fit.

Atiku’s opponents are not disputing the fact that his policies stand out as the most realistic to fix Nigeria’s economy, restore investor confidence, and reunite a divided nation. They know that on the grounds of competence, experience, and vision, they have no chance. So they cling to the only weapon left, the politics of age and health hoping to distract the public from real issues.

Nigeria today is like a dying patient in the ICU. What such a patient needs isn’t a young or healthy doctor, but a highly skilled and experienced one who knows exactly how to save lives. In the same vein, Nigeria doesn’t need a leader who merely looks youthful, but one who possesses the wisdom, resilience, and proven ability to resuscitate a failing system. The icing on the cake is that His Excellency Atiku Abubakar is not only experienced and capable but also fit and healthy enough to lead Nigeria to the promised land.

The truth is, just like Trump, Atiku’s physical and mental fitness can be verified in his performance, speech, and energy. No credible medical evidence has ever suggested he is unwell. The so-called “health scare” stories are fabricated to create fear where there is none. Those who truly observe him can testify that he remains robust, focused, and emotionally steady qualities every great leader must possess.

Nigerians must rise above this campaign of calumny. Leadership should be about ideas, not age; competence, not propaganda. Atiku Abubakar has consistently demonstrated that he possesses the intellect, stamina, and foresight required to rebuild Nigeria. If a 79 year old Donald Trump can be medically declared fit to rule the world’s most powerful nation, then surely a vibrant and healthier Atiku Abubakar is fit enough to lead Nigeria back to greatness.

In politics, the strongest arguments should win, not the loudest rumors. If we want Nigeria to move forward, let us demand clarity over caricature; substance over smear; verified health over hearsay. His Excellency Atiku Abubakar physically, mentally, cognitively, emotionally appears fit, and the comparison to what medical science says about Trump suggests that age is not the barrier many claim it to be.

So, for those who oppose Atiku’s 2027 ambition based on age and health, the burden of proof is on them. If Atiku has a clean bill of health or at least nothing adverse shown in public record then those claims are not just unfair; they are a distortion of democratic discourse, and that is how I will rest my case.

Dr. Sani Sa’idu Baba writes from Kano, Nigeria, and can be reached drssbaba@yahoo.com