Atiku Abubakar has dismissed comments made by Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, describing him as a political opportunist with no moral authority to lecture on legacy or patriotism.
The former vice president, who was the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, responded through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, May 5.
His remarks followed Bwala’s appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, where the presidential aide mocked Atiku and declared that any political coalition he was leading was “dead on arrival.”
Bwala had said, “APC didn’t miss anything about El-Rufai’s exit. He’s free to pursue his personal ambitions. Atiku should accept the will of God and stop running against destiny. Coalition is dead on arrival….”
In a sharp rebuttal, Atiku said it was ironic and unfortunate that Bwala, who once served as his spokesperson, now positions himself as a moral authority on matters such as retirement, legacy, and destiny.
According to the statement, “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.”
“Let it be clearly stated: Atiku Abubakar neither seeks nor requires validation from political opportunists who shed principles as easily as they change parties.
“Mr. Bwala’s current relevance, if any, is owed entirely to the platform he once occupied under Atiku’s leadership, a fact that should breed humility, not arrogance.”
The statement accused the Tinubu administration of fixating on Atiku’s political future despite publicly claiming he poses no threat.
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“The Tinubu camp’s obsession with Atiku’s political future is no coincidence. If, as they claim, Atiku is a spent force, why the relentless smear campaign? Why the strategic allocation of presidential platforms to attack him?
“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.”
Describing the coalition as a “broad-based alliance,” the statement said it is intended to “reclaim Nigeria from economic collapse, institutional failure, and democratic erosion.”
It added, “No amount of historical revisionism or sanctimony can obscure the fact that Atiku has been a central pillar in Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999, championing reform, restructuring, and electoral integrity when others chose complicity.”
Atiku also said he would not be distracted by “political jesters masquerading as patriots,” insisting that his focus remains on rescuing the nation.
“Legacy is not defined by the trappings of office but by courage, consistency, and conviction. Atiku Abubakar’s legacy, as a unifier, builder, and patriot, 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.
“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.
“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.”