Atiku May Never Become President, Says Ex-Aide

Daniel Bwala, a former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar's 2023 presidential campaign, has expressed his opinion that the former Vice President may never become Nigeria's president. 

Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today, Bwala stated that Atiku has likely exhausted all opportunities to realize his ambition.

Bwala noted that the 2023 presidential election was Atiku's biggest opportunity to win the presidency, but he failed to capitalize on it, believing that Atiku's chances of becoming president are slim, given his past electoral setbacks.

“In all honesty, I have expressed my opinion that it may never have been destined by God for him to be a president in Nigeria because he has done everything he needs to do to be president and he did not win the presidency.

“2023 was the biggest opportunity that my former principal Atiku Abubakar had. He will never have that kind of privilege again. What I still find intriguing is that this coalition of internally displaced politicians have not been able to summon the courage and come up with alternative facts, alternative policies or alternative programmes.” he said.

Bwala also predicted that the recently formed opposition alliance would collapse within six months due to internal power struggles over who should emerge as the coalition's presidential candidate. 

He cited a recent comment by Labour Party's vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, who acknowledged that the ambition of coalition members poses a significant threat to the alliance's unity.

“But one of them, his name is Datti (Baba-Ahmed) already sensed the danger that is ahead for them and he said that the problem of this coalition will be who will be the President because right now, I’m quoting him, ‘everybody wants to be the president’.

“After one month, when they sit down, I am telling you on my own honour, in the next six months, that coalition thing will not even be a conversation, they will scatter,” Bwala stated.

Bwala expressed skepticism about the opposition alliance's ability to present a united front, stating that the coalition would likely scatter within six months. 

He noted that the coalition's leaders have not been able to present alternative facts, policies, or programs, and that they have failed to counter or disagree with the policies being implemented by the current government.