Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has described the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, as too old to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Fayose made the statement while featuring on TVC’s Politics Tonight, where he compared Atiku’s continued presidential ambition to former United States President Joe Biden’s decision to seek another term.
According to Fayose, though Atiku remains a good man, age has become a major factor against his ambition to return to the presidency.
“Atiku is now really old. He’s a good man, but time has caught up with him. Atiku contesting an election is like calling Biden to come and contest again,” Fayose said.
The former governor also identified President Bola Tinubu, Atiku and Labour Party’s Peter Obi as three major political figures for whom the 2027 election could represent their final opportunity to seek the presidency.
Fayose further questioned the political strength of Atiku’s running mate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, particularly in the South-South region.
He argued that Amaechi would struggle to secure significant support in Rivers State, citing what he described as a lack of unity within the emerging ADC political structure.
“In Rivers State, during this election, Amaechi will have very little support. Even the party is not together,” Fayose said.
He added that many members associated with the ADC and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) were yet to establish a strong political presence on the ground, arguing that the parties had not sufficiently connected with voters ahead of the 2027 election.
Fayose’s comments come as political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition figures and parties working to build alliances and challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, in a post on X, The Senior Political Assistant to Atiku, Demola Olarewaju, on Tuesday said the momentum of the opposition would die if the former vice president stepped down from the presidential race ahead of 2027.
Olarewaju insisted that Atiku is the only candidate showing the capacity to match President Bola Tinubu locally and internationally.
He wrote: “Atiku steps down now and opposition momentum dies totally – an election with the incumbent as contestant is a different ballgame from a transition election).
