By Alex Ter Adum
If an 81-year-old Brazilian can persistently contest the presidency, lose three times and eventually secure an unprecedented fourth, non-consecutive presidential term at 81, why should Atiku Abubakar be written off because of age and his persistent contest for the Nigerian presidency?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s political journey is a powerful illustration of perseverance, political conviction and the electorate’s ultimate authority to decide who should lead. Lula contested Brazil’s presidency in 1989, 1994 and 1998, losing all three times. He finally won in 2002, was re-elected in 2006, lost in 2010, returned to power in 2022 and has now secured another victory in 2026. He has won four of seven presidential contests.
What makes Lula’s story remarkable is not merely his age. It is that he refused to allow repeated electoral defeats to extinguish his ambition. He persisted, returned to the electorate and ultimately earned another mandate. His fourth victory represents the democratic validation of his continued political struggles, relevance and determination to lead Brazil.
Lula’s example does not mean that every persistent politician wins the presidency or that age and experience guarantee a successful presidential run. But neither should age, repeated defeats or the number of attempts automatically disqualify a candidate. The decisive questions are capacity, health, judgment, vision, policies, integrity and the willingness of the electorate to entrust that person with power.
This is precisely where the argument about Atiku Abubakar becomes relevant.
Atiku is preparing for what he has described as his last attempt at the Nigerian presidency in 2027. He has pursued the office through several party primaries and appeared on the presidential ballot in 2007, 2019 and 2023. His 2027 ambition represents another chapter in a long political journey.
Like Lula, Atiku has refused to abandon his presidential ambition after successive disappointments. His admirers and a significant number of Nigerians regard this persistence as evidence of an enduring commitment to serve the nation in the highest office and an opportunity to put his experience and programmes before Nigerians one final time.
The comparison also evokes Abraham Lincoln, who endured political setbacks before becoming President of the United States. His journey reminds us that political defeat need not be the final verdict on a person’s public career. However, the circumstances of each leader are different; the useful parallel is perseverance in the face of setbacks, not an assumption that persistence alone guarantees merit or success.
The argument against Atiku on the sole ground of age is therefore insufficient. At 79, he is younger than Lula, who is 81 following his 2026 victory. Neither man’s age, by itself, establishes diminished mental acuity or incapacity. Such questions must be considered on individual evidence, not speculation, stereotypes or partisan convenience.
There is, moreover, a historical grievance that continues to animate Atiku’s supporters. Many believe that he was denied the presidency through electoral manipulation in 1999 and again in 2023. Those are serious allegations that should be distinguished from independently established findings, but they form part of the political narrative through which his supporters understand his continued quest for the presidency.
For these Nigerians, the 2027 election is not simply another contest. It is an opportunity for Atiku to make one final appeal to the electorate, present his vision for national recovery and seek the mandate that his supporters believe has eluded him.
Ultimately, however, it is not the persistence of a candidate that confers a democratic mandate. It is the freely expressed will of the voters.
Nigeria should therefore debate Atiku’s economic recovery proposals, his plans for national security, his approach to employment, the cost-of-living crisis, education, healthcare and institutional reform. Nigerians should also scrutinise his health and capacity, as they should those of every presidential contenders. What should be rejected is the presumption that a person is incapable simply because of persistence and age.
Lula’s journey demonstrates that a political career need not end merely because a candidate has grown older or suffered previous defeats. Atiku’s final bid deserves to be examined on its own merits, without age-based prejudice and without any presumption that age, experience or perseverance guarantees are limiting factors.
Atiku wants his day in the sun. His supporters believe that 2027 should give Nigerians the opportunity to decide whether that day has come. The final judgment belongs to the electorate, not to ageist assumptions, political gatekeepers or commentators who would substitute their preferences for the people’s choice.
Alex Ter Adum, PhD
DDG, The Narrative Force
#AgeIsNotIncapacity #Atiku2027 #LulaDaSilva #Democracy #ThePeoplesChoice
