Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has fired back at the Presidency, accusing it of descending into panic over his growing coalition efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections. Atiku said he remains Nigeria’s most formidable opposition figure and vowed to stay focused on his mission to “rescue and rebuild” the country.
The comments came in response to remarks by Daniel Bwala, a former spokesperson for Atiku and now Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication. Speaking during a televised interview on Monday, Bwala urged Atiku to abandon any plans to contest in the 2027 presidential election.
“If I have the opportunity to meet him face to face, what I would tell him is, ‘You have to believe in destiny. God gives power to whomever He chooses, and it seems, from the facts on the ground, it may not have been God’s will for you to govern Nigeria,’” Bwala said.
Bwala further suggested that Atiku’s political influence had waned, claiming he had lost 60 to 70 percent of his political support base.
In a strongly-worded response issued through his media office, Atiku dismissed Bwala’s remarks as “disparaging and sanctimonious,” accusing him of political opportunism and attacking his former principal for relevance.
“The rescue and rebuilding of Nigeria is a task of urgent national importance — far too important to be derailed by the petty ego trips of desperate presidential aides,” the statement read.
Atiku’s camp described Bwala as a “political turncoat” who is now attempting to lecture “a statesman of global standing” while clinging to relevance in a “floundering administration.”
> “It is ironic and pathetic that Bwala — a political turncoat who once served as spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential campaign — now presumes to lecture on matters of legacy, destiny, and retirement,” the statement added.
The media office alleged that the Tinubu administration is rattled by the national coalition being forged by Atiku and other progressive leaders, describing it as a credible threat to the ruling party’s hold on power.
“If, as they claim, Atiku is a spent force, why the obsession with his political future? Why the strategic allocation of presidential platforms to attack him?” the statement asked.
“The answer is plain: Atiku Abubakar remains the single most formidable opposition figure in Nigeria, and the coalition he is forging represents a clear and present danger to the decaying edifice of the ruling party.”
The statement said Atiku’s legacy as a unifier, reformer, and democrat since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999 remains intact, despite attempts to undermine his relevance.
“Legacy is not defined by the trappings of office but by courage, consistency, and conviction. Atiku Abubakar’s legacy is deeply etched in the consciousness of millions of Nigerians. It is impervious to the revisionist bile of yesterday’s defectors turned today’s defenders of dysfunction.”
It concluded by reaffirming Atiku’s focus and determination.
“We reaffirm, unequivocally, that the Waziri Adamawa remains focused and unshaken in his commitment to Nigeria’s future. He will not be distracted by political jesters masquerading as patriots.”
