ABUJA — Presidential aide and former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 campaign, Daniel Bwala, has cast doubt on the former Vice President’s chances of ever becoming Nigeria’s president, suggesting his repeated failures may be a matter of destiny.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired Monday night, Bwala declared, “It may never have been destined by God for him to be a president in Nigeria,” adding that Atiku has done everything possible but has repeatedly failed to clinch the presidency.
“2023 was the biggest opportunity that my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, had. He will never have that kind of privilege again,” Bwala said.
The comments mark a stark shift from Bwala, who once served as a vocal advocate for Atiku’s presidential ambitions but switched allegiance to President Bola Tinubu following the 2023 elections.
Reacting to the newly formed opposition coalition that includes Atiku, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and others under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bwala dismissed the alliance as lacking substance and political direction.
He described the coalition members as “internally displaced politicians” and criticised them for failing to offer Nigerians a credible alternative to the Tinubu administration.
“They have not been able to summon the courage and come up with alternative facts, alternative policies, or alternative programmes,” Bwala said.
Citing Obi’s recent interviews, Bwala argued that the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate had not presented any convincing counterarguments to Tinubu’s policies.
“What I still find intriguing is that Peter Obi has not been able to disagree, in the real sense, with the policies we are implementing,” he added.
The remarks are likely to stir controversy within the opposition camp, as the newly-formed coalition works to establish itself as a formidable force ahead of the 2027 general elections.
