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

Published

2 months ago

October 22, 2025

Eric

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

Featured

Dangote Launches Historic ₦1trn Scholarship Scheme for 1.3m Students

Published

9 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Eric

The Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Aliko Dangote, has launched a ₦1 trillion scholarship programme targeting more than 1.3 million Nigerian students over the next decade.

The initiative, the largest private-sector education support scheme in Nigeria’s history, will begin in 2026 with ₦100 billion disbursed annually across all 774 local governments.

The programme focuses on vulnerable learners, supporting undergraduate STEM students, technical trainees, and secondary school girls through tuition aid, study materials, and essential learning supplies.

It will be implemented through a fully digital, merit-based system in partnership with NELFUND, JAMB, NIMC, NUC, NBTE, WAEC and NECO.

Dangote said the intervention is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future, stressing that financial hardship—not lack of talent—is the major barrier keeping many young people out of school. He added that 25 percent of his wealth has been committed to sustaining the Foundation’s long-term programmes.

Vice President Kashim Shettima described the scheme as a transformative act of nation-building, noting that it complements government reforms in basic, tertiary and technical education.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the programme aligns with the administration’s goal of transitioning Nigeria into a knowledge-driven economy, while Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, pledged the governors’ full support.

Traditional rulers including the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, who chairs the programme’s steering committee, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, praised the initiative as unprecedented in scope and impact.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed also commended the scheme, saying it will create conditions for children to learn and families to thrive.

The scholarship initiative reinforces the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s mission to expand opportunities, drive social impact and improve the wellbeing of communities across Nigeria.

Featured

Yakubu, Fani-Kayode, Ikpeazu, Others Scale Senate Screening Hurdle for Ambassadorial Positions

Published

24 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Eric

The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Thursday, approved the nomination of former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, for appointment as ambassador.

Other nominees cleared by the committee include former Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau, ex-special adviser on new media to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, and Senator Grace Bent.

Also confirmed were former INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu; former Governor of Enugu, State Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Governor of Abia State, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, among others.

The screening session, conducted in batches of five nominees each, experienced a mild drama during Omokri’s turn.

Senators Mohammed Ali Ndume and Adams Oshiomhole openly disagreed on how his clearance should proceed.

After Omokri’s batch had introduced themselves, Ndume moved a motion to allow the nominees to take a bow and leave.

Some senators, including Oshiomhole, indicated they wanted to comment.

The Committee Chairman, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, recognised Oshiomhole to speak, but Ndume insisted that his motion should be seconded before allowing further interventions.

This led to a sharp disagreement between the two senators.

Featured

Tinubu Reiterates Directive on Withdrawal of VIP Police Protection

Published

2 days ago

December 10, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has insisted on his earlier directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers from very important persons (VIPs) in the country.

On November 23, Tinubu ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country during a security meeting with the inspector-general of police (IGP), the chiefs of army and air staff, and the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The president said the move was aimed at boosting police presence in communities, especially remote areas where stations are understaffed and citizens remain vulnerable to attacks.

Speaking at the opening of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, Tinubu warned against non-compliance and directed Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA); Ibrahim Gaidam, minister of police; and Kayode Egbetokun, the IGP, to follow up on the implementation of the order.

The president noted that police officers were trained to protect the lives and property of citizens, particularly the most vulnerable in society, adding that the protection of a select group of VIPs is not their responsibility.

The president ordered Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, to make arrangements for the replacement of police officers by civil defence corps.

“If you have any problem because of the nature of your assignments, please contact the IGP and get my clearance,” he said.

“The National Security and Civil Defence Corps are trained for VIP protection, and they are armed too.

“We face challenges here and there of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism. We need all forces utilised. I know some people are exposed; we will make the exceptions. The civil defence is very much around.”

Tinubu said there is a need to mobilise the police appropriately due to the country’s security challenges.