••Former VP reiterates his political relevance and presidential ambitions.
By OBSERVERS TIMES
Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has issued a sharp rebuke to recent comments made by Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication. Atiku, through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, dismissed Bwala’s assertions as the “pontificating” of a political opportunist.
The response follows Bwala’s appearance on TVC’s “Journalists’ Hangout” where he stated, among other things, that “Atiku should accept the will of God and stop running against destiny.” Bwala, who previously served as Atiku’s spokesperson, also claimed that a proposed coalition spearheaded by Atiku was “dead on arrival.”
In a strongly worded statement, Atiku characterized Bwala’s remarks as “ironic and unfortunate,” highlighting the former spokesperson’s current position and contrasting it with his previous role under Atiku’s leadership.
“His sanctimonious pontificating, laced with bitterness and duplicity, betrays a desperate effort to curry favour with a floundering administration clearly shaken by the unstoppable momentum of the national coalition being galvanised by Atiku and other progressive leaders,” the statement read.
Atiku’s camp emphasized that he “neither seeks nor requires validation from political opportunists who shed principles as easily as they change parties.” The statement further asserted that Bwala’s current relevance is “owed entirely to the platform he once occupied under Atiku’s leadership — a fact that should breed humility, not arrogance.”
This exchange underscores the escalating political tensions as Atiku continues to position himself as a key figure in opposition to the current administration.
