Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) about Borno South Senator Ali Ndume, alleging that the lawmaker is no longer aligned with the party’s ideals and is spiritually aligned with the opposition.
“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 said during an appearance on Sunday Politics aired by Channels Television.
“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.”
The remarks come amid increasing political tensions within the APC and growing momentum from opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections. On Friday, April 11, Ndume, one of Nigeria’s longest-serving lawmakers, openly criticised President Tinubu’s suggestion of emergency rule in Rivers State. He advised the president to instead declare a state of emergency on the nation’s security and economy.
Ndume further stoked controversy by suggesting that Tinubu should be concerned if former President Muhammadu Buhari is not in his corner. This statement followed a high-profile visit by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition leaders to Buhari in Kaduna, an event many viewed as symbolic of a broader political realignment.
The coalition, spearheaded by Atiku and involving figures like Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai, was formally announced on March 20, 2025. It aims to dislodge the APC in 2027 and has blamed Tinubu’s administration for Nigeria’s worsening economic situation, citing soaring inflation and a deepening cost-of-living crisis.
The opposition alliance is buoyed by the combined voter strength Atiku and Obi amassed in the 2023 presidential election. Together, they secured over 12 million votes more than four million above Tinubu’s total as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the background, ongoing legal battles, internal party disputes, and leadership crises have plagued both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP). Amidst these troubles, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has become a new political refuge. El-Rufai and several of his allies have officially joined the SDP, and while Atiku and Obi are reported to be in talks about potentially joining, neither has publicly confirmed the move.
