A birthday message posted by former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, in 2020 has resurfaced following his recent claim that President Bola Tinubu is 90 years old.
On March 29, 2020, Atiku publicly congratulated Tinubu on his 68th birthday, offering prayers for his continued good health and longevity.
“On behalf of my family, I wish you, @AsiwajuTinubu, a happy 68th birthday. I also pray many more years for you, in good health and strength. Best wishes. -AA,” Atiku wrote.
The message was accompanied by a photograph of the two politicians shaking hands, with the image reportedly taken in Akure, Ondo State, in June 2018, when both men travelled to Ekiti State ahead of the governorship election.
At the time, Atiku was associated with the Peoples Democratic Party, while Tinubu was a leading figure in the All Progressives Congress, setting the stage for years of political rivalry between the two men.
Atiku later emerged as the PDP presidential candidate for the 2019 election, while Tinubu supported the APC ticket of Muhammadu Buhari, who won the election.
Four years later, Atiku and Tinubu again contested the presidency, with Tinubu emerging victorious and becoming President of Nigeria.
The age controversy
The 2020 birthday message has attracted renewed attention after Atiku made a substantially different claim about Tinubu’s age during an interview with the BBC.
Atiku told the broadcaster that Tinubu was 90 years old and also alleged that the President was ill while presenting his own health and experience as reasons he remained capable of serving Nigerians.
“I have a president who is 90 years old now and who is sick. I am healthy; I am strong. So why would I not make my services available to my fellow countrymen?” Atiku said.
When asked about the basis for the claim, Atiku maintained that he had evidence to support it and indicated that he intended to present the evidence before a court.
“I have evidence that he is [90], and I will present it in court,” he said.
If Tinubu had been 68 in March 2020, as stated in Atiku’s birthday message, the arithmetic would place him at 74 in 2026.
That figure is also consistent with the date of birth contained in Tinubu’s official biography on the APC website, which gives his date of birth as March 29, 1952.
Social media reaction
Atiku’s latest assertion has generated debate online, with some Nigerians questioning the apparent difference between his earlier public acknowledgement of Tinubu’s age and his current position.
Among those who criticised the former Vice-President was Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Reno Omokri, who accused Atiku of attempting to ridicule the President over his age.
Omokri also shared a photograph said to have been taken in 1996 showing Tinubu alongside Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, as part of his argument against the 90-year claim.
As of the time of the report, there had been no official response from the President’s spokespersons to Atiku’s allegation.
Earlier birthday tributes
Atiku’s public birthday messages to Tinubu did not begin in 2020, as records show that he also acknowledged the President’s birthday in 2014, 2017 and 2021.
While the earlier messages did not always specify Tinubu’s age, the 2021 tribute carried a notably personal tone as Atiku described their shared political history.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu @AsiwajuTinubu and I have come a long way in the common mission to restore and promote democracy in Nigeria,” Atiku wrote.
He added, “On this special occasion of your birthday, I pray to the Almighty Allah to grant you long life and more vigour to keep the march on in the quest for good governance and a better life for our people. Congratulations, dear friend and brother.”
What remains established
For now, Atiku’s assertion that Tinubu is 90 remains an allegation because the evidence he referenced has not been publicly established in the information available.
The claim also contrasts with Tinubu’s stated date of birth of March 29, 1952, as well as Atiku’s own 2020 message identifying him as 68 at the time.
Whether the former Vice-President will produce the evidence he referred to in court could determine whether the controversy develops into a formal legal dispute or remains another chapter in the longstanding political contest between the two men.
