Presidency may not be your destiny – Tinubu’s aide Bwala tells Atiku

Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, has advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to come to terms with the possibility that the Nigerian presidency may not be part of his destiny.

Speaking during a Monday interview on TVC, Bwala urged Atiku to reflect on his multiple failed attempts at the presidency and consider shifting his focus toward supporting the current administration in moving the country forward.

Bwala stressed the importance of prioritizing national unity and development over personal political ambition, especially in the face of Nigeria’s growing socio-economic challenges. He suggested that backing President Tinubu’s leadership could be a more meaningful contribution from Atiku at this critical time.

“Atiku should now face the reality of his political journey. It’s time to put the nation first and rally behind the government to build a stronger Nigeria,” Bwala stated.

“If I have the opportunity to meet him face to face, what I will tell him is just this: ‘Your Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, you have to believe in destiny,’” Bwala said.

“God gives power to whomsoever He chooses. And it seems from the facts on the ground that it may not have been the will of God for you to govern Nigeria.”

He advised the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to align himself with Tinubu’s administration to leave a lasting legacy, “even if it is realised through another person”.

“There are many other ways you can contribute. Since you have been a friend to President Bola Tinubu for many years, come together and bring your contribution towards the Nigeria that both of you wanted to create for the Nigerian people,” he said.

“Your legacy will be that in your political dying days, you will be able to achieve some of your dreams, albeit through your friend.

“But if he insists that he wants to run and he wants to become the president, as we have already seen it playing out, his political ending might not be as palatable as he’s thinking.

“Right now, from his political family, he has lost substantial people, probably 60 to 70 percent.”

Bwala added that younger politicians who once followed Abubakar are now determined to seek power in their own right and have shown no signs of retreating.

The presidential aide’s remarks come amid a gale of defections from opposition parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

There are speculations that some governors of the opposition parties may soon join the APC.

In March, Abubakar said he was unsure about contesting the 2027 presidency, adding that there must be a viable platform.