The special adviser to the president on policy communication, Daniel Bwala, has accused Senator Ali Ndume of planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the opposition coalition.
Bwala made the allegation during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics amid ongoing political tension between both men.
The accusation comes after Ndume, the longest-serving lawmaker in the National Assembly since 1999, criticised President Bola Tinubu’s emergency declaration in Rivers State. Ndume suggested the president should instead declare a state of emergency on security and the economy.
In a move seen as politically symbolic, Ndume also stated that Tinubu should be concerned if former President Muhammadu Buhari is no longer in support of his administration. His comments came shortly after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition figures paid a visit to Buhari in Kaduna.
Ndume, however, clarified that he is not opposed to Tinubu personally but is critical of some of his policies. He added that he holds the president in high regard and considers him a mentor.
Speaking on the programme, Bwala alleged that Ndume has a history of disloyalty and had engaged in similar conduct in the past.
“Let me tell you today — and I want everybody to hear this, especially the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje: Senator Ali Ndume’s spirit and soul are with the coalition; it’s only his body that’s still in the APC. He is already on his way out,” Bwala said.
“He did the same thing during his time with Senator Governor Ali Modu Sheriff, when he felt he wasn’t being supported.
“That’s how he moved to the PDP. But before he made that move, he kept meeting with them. All the while, he was there as a snitch.
“He was giving intelligence and information to the other side. Now, the reason I say the national chairman has to be very careful and observant is because he’s dog-whistling for these people. It would be better to handle it the way El-Rufai did.
“El-Rufai just said, ‘I’m leaving.’ You give more honour and credit to el-Rufai because he didn’t stay behind to be a snitch. He left.
“But this one, he claims loyalty. Yet, from a strategic point of view, he thinks, ‘If I stay and keep shooting from within, people will say, Ah, this one is even a member of the party.”
Meanwhile, key opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Nasir el-Rufai have intensified efforts to form a coalition to challenge Tinubu in 2027. El-Rufai and some of his allies have already defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in preparation for future political realignments.
