The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed concerns about his age, insisting that he has not attained 80 and remains mentally fit to lead Nigeria.

Atiku made the remarks in an interview with BBC Hausa published on Friday, while responding to questions about whether his age could constitute a barrier to his ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Asked whether his age would be a challenge, given that he would be approaching 80 by the time Nigerians go to the polls in 2027, Atiku referenced President Bola Tinubu‘s age and challenged the premise of the question.

“You went and voted for someone who is 80, I mean 90 years old. How old is President Bola, 90?” he asked.

The interviewer corrected him, noting that Tinubu was not yet 80.

Atiku then responded: “Do I look to you like someone who has reached 80 years of age?”

He also dismissed concerns about his ability to govern, maintaining that his age should not be used to question his mental capacity or ambition to lead the country, noting that he is not battling any health issues.

Meanwhile, Atiku has made the restoration of the petrol subsidy a major part of his 2027 campaign pitch, arguing that Nigerians have yet to see sufficient benefits from its removal.

Speaking in another interview on Wednesday, Atiku questioned the whereabouts of the funds generated following President Tinubu’s decision to end the petrol subsidy in May 2023.

“I did not oppose the removal of the oil subsidy, but where is the money? Where did it go? It was intended to reduce poverty and help children attend school. Where is the money now? It seems they are just stealing it,” Atiku said in Hausa.

He pledged that if elected president, he would restore the petrol subsidy and ensure that anyone found to have misappropriated the funds is held accountable.

“If elected, I will bring back the oil subsidy, and whoever stole the money must refund it,” he said.