Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has accused Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South of covertly aligning with the opposition, warning the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be vigilant as the 2027 elections draw closer.
Speaking on Sunday during Politics Today, a current affairs programme aired on Channels Television, Bwala claimed that while Ndume may still physically belong to the APC, his political allegiance now lies elsewhere.
“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.
He went further to liken Ndume’s stance to that of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, who has reportedly left the APC to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“It is better the way 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,” Bwala added.
Bwala’s remarks come on the heels of Ndume’s recent criticism of President Tinubu’s leadership.
On Friday, the senator condemned the President’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State, urging instead that emergency rule be declared on issues of security and the economy.
Ndume also cautioned that Tinubu should be concerned if former President Muhammadu Buhari is no longer in his corner.
His comments coincided with a visit by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition figures — including Peter Obi and el-Rufai — to Buhari in Kaduna, fuelling speculation of a rising political realignment.
Opposition figures have intensified efforts to form a broad coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, with talks culminating on 20 March 2025 when key players including Atiku, Obi, and el-Rufai announced plans to unseat Tinubu’s administration, which has come under fire over economic hardship, surging inflation, and high cost of living.
In the 2023 general election, Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party’s Obi secured a combined total of over 12 million votes — roughly four million more than Tinubu’s declared tally by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
As both the PDP and LP continue to grapple with internal crises and leadership tussles, the SDP is reportedly becoming a haven for disgruntled politicians from across the spectrum.
El-Rufai and several of his loyalists have already joined the party, with unconfirmed reports suggesting Atiku and Obi may follow suit, though neither has publicly declared such intentions.
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