Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) about Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South, claiming the veteran lawmaker is already aligning with the opposition coalition championed by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi.
“Let me tell you today and I want everybody to hear, especially the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje.”
“Senator Ali Ndume’s spirit and soul are with the coalition; it is his body that is in APC. He is already going,” Bwala stated during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
He went on to add, “It is better the way (Nasir) el-Rufai did: just say I am leaving. You’d give more honour and credit to el-Rufai that he didn’t feel he could stay and be a snitch.”
Ndume, who is widely regarded as the longest-serving senator since the return to civilian rule in 1999, has recently taken positions at odds with the presidency.
On Friday, he openly criticized President Tinubu’s threat to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, urging the president instead to prioritize emergency declarations on the economy and national security.
The senator also implied that Tinubu’s political standing might be in jeopardy without the support of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
His remarks followed a high-profile visit by opposition leaders—including Atiku Abubakar—to Buhari in Kaduna.
This development comes as opposition parties intensify efforts to forge a formidable alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On March 20, 2025, a major step was taken when Atiku, Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and other political heavyweights officially announced a coalition aimed at unseating Tinubu.
The coalition is looking to harness the over 12 million combined votes Atiku and Obi garnered in the 2023 elections—votes that exceeded Tinubu’s tally by more than four million, even though the APC candidate was declared winner by INEC.
Internal conflicts and leadership disputes within the PDP and LP, as well as grievances among APC loyalists, appear to have turned the Social Democratic Party (SDP) into an attractive alternative.
El-Rufai and some of his allies have already joined the SDP, with speculations suggesting that both Atiku and Obi may also make similar moves.
However, neither politician has confirmed any formal defection at this time.
