Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, says the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition will collapse within six months due to a dearth of ideology.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on ‘Politics Today’,
a programme on Channels Television, Bwala said Datti Baba-Ahmed,
vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections,
sensed the looming crisis.
On July 4, Baba-Ahmed said the battle for a presidential
candidate could pose a major challenge for the ADC, warning that the
“excitement” trailing the coalition should be managed and that citizens should
not be “consumed” by it.
He added that unlike the current coalition, the 2013 All Progressives Congress (APC) alliance viewed former President Muhammadu Buhari as the “anointed” presidential candidate long before the primary election.
Baba-Ahmed said the opposition coalition must do the
unthinkable to wrest power from Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Baba-Ahmed said he is open to joining the ADC coalition,
adding that he aligns with its goals while remaining a member of LP.
However, Bwala dismissed any threat from the ADC, saying the
group has been unable to present alternative policies capable of convincing
Nigerians to vote for them.
“What I still find intriguing is that this coalition of
internally displaced politicians has not been able to summon the courage to
come up with alternative facts, alternative policies, or alternative
programmes,” the presidential aide said.
“Throughout the interview you had with Peter Obi, what I
observed is that he has not been able to counter or disagree — in the real
sense of the word — with the policies.
“They have not brought a single alternative policy to the
table. All they do is criticise and issue press statements. The truth is, they
lack vision and have not shown Nigerians they truly care.”
‘COALITION WILL SCATTER IN SIX MONTHS’
Bwala dismissed the opposition leaders’ threat to Tinubu’s
presidenc, saying the newly established alliance is unstable and unlikely to
endure beyond six months.
He said the struggle for who will emerge as flagbearer under
the ADC will fragment the coalition and make the 2027 election easier for
Tinubu.
“All this fantasy of coalition — we all know that once there
is a phenomenon like that, we are going to have a good two to three weeks of
romanticising: ‘we have ideas, we can do this,” he said.
“But one of them — his name is Datti (Baba-Ahmed) — has
already sensed the danger ahead and said the problem of this coalition will be
who becomes 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
honour, in the next six months, that coalition will not even be a conversation.
They will scatter.”
‘OBI HAS CONCEDED PRESIDENTIAL AMBITION TO ATIKU’
Speaking further, Bwala claimed that Peter Obi, LP
presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has conceded his presidential
ambition to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
He said Obi has been relegated to a secondary role and now
finds himself contending for the vice-presidential ticket with Rotimi Amaechi,
former minister of transportation.
“Peter Obi is now a non-issue. He’s a non-starter. Already,
he has conceded his presidential ambition to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,” he said.
“Now he has become second fiddle, but he needs to fight for
the vice-presidential ticket with Rotimi Amaechi.
“And from what we are hearing, they have convinced him that
he will be director-general of the campaign to lead the movement — and that
when they win the election, Atiku will do one term, and then Peter Obi will
return to become president.”
On Sunday, Obi announced he would run for president again in
2027, dismissing speculation that he had agreed to be Abubakar’s running mate.
Last Wednesday, opposition politicians adopted the ADC as
their platform to challenge Tinubu in 2027.
The coalition includes Obi, Atiku, Amaechi, former Senate
President David Mark, and Rauf Aregbesola, former minister of interior.
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