Aide dismisses opposition coalition as weak, questions Atiku’s electoral viability
By Rejoice Peterside
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has dismissed claims by former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, that a coalition-backed candidate would defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Bwala, who previously served as a spokesperson for Atiku, described the assertion as unrealistic, arguing that the former vice-president lacks the political strength to unseat the incumbent president.
Atiku had, during an interview on Arise Television, expressed confidence that a united opposition coalition could defeat Tinubu in the next presidential election.
“With a coalition candidate, the President is dead on arrival. Everything is wrong with Tinubu. I’ve not seen a government that is as bad as that of Tinubu,” Atiku said, while also criticising the administration’s performance, particularly on the economy.
Reacting in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bwala countered the claim, reminding Atiku of his defeat in the 2023 election despite having the backing of governors, political structures, and party machinery.
“My former boss said with a coalition candidate, President Tinubu is dead on arrival. But we know you are the coalition candidate. Yet, he defeated you in 2023 when you had governors, states, and structures,” Bwala said.
He further argued that the current opposition coalition lacks the political base required to challenge the ruling party, describing its members as lacking coordinated structures.
According to him, most of the political strength Atiku once commanded has since shifted, leaving the coalition with limited electoral influence ahead of 2027.
“These governors, states and structures are with him. With a coalition of aggrieved ‘stateless’ leaders, I doubt if President Tinubu would bother to check the scoreboard on election day,” he added.
The exchange highlights growing political tension ahead of the 2027 general election, with opposition figures pushing for alliances to challenge the ruling party, while government officials continue to project confidence in the administration’s electoral strength.
Atiku, a long-standing figure in Nigeria’s political landscape and a presidential aspirant under the African Democratic Congress, has been actively promoting the idea of a broad coalition involving major opposition blocs.
However, Bwala’s response underscores internal disagreements and scepticism surrounding the viability of such a coalition, as political alignments begin to take shape ahead of the next electoral cycle.
