Professor Femi Otubanjo, a research professor at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), has identified President Bola Tinubu’s age as a potential concern ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Otubanjo’s comments come amid growing political debates over the suitability of presidential contenders, their capacity to govern and the challenges facing Nigeria.
He made the remarks while fielding questions on Arise Morning Show on Thursday.
The professor has previously assessed the prospects of major political figures, including Tinubu and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, ahead of the next general election.
He argued that Tinubu’s long political career gives voters a record to assess, while questioning whether Obi has presented a sufficiently broad national agenda beyond his appeal in the South-East.
“Let’s not deceive ourselves. I’m not happy about the reason the President gave: ‘I want to face the business of state duties’. That’s not convincing. Everybody knows that…” he said.
The debate over age and leadership capacity has also featured in discussions involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who has made claims about Tinubu’s age and health.
“What’s wrong with if the president is not sufficiently strong to go to everywhere?
“He has the problem of old age. Everybody loses some strength in old age. And then you have what you call the weaknesses of illnesses,” he added.
As political activities gather momentum ahead of 2027, questions surrounding candidates’ experience, health, leadership capacity and policy proposals are expected to remain part of the national conversation.
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