ABUJA – Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing him as a “loser again” following the defection of prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, including Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Okowa, who served as Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, was among a wave of high-profile PDP figures who recently joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), sparking intense political reactions.
Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, made the comments via his official account on X (formerly Twitter). Reacting to the defections, he stated:
“Atiku’s political future looks bleak. The coalition that he, El-Rufai, Babachir, and new member Baba-Ahmed are cobbling together has disintegrated. Potential allies, including former running mate Ifeanyi Okowa and defunct CPC members, are giving his leprous group a wide berth. Atiku is a loser again.”
Atiku Abubakar, who ran as the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, came second behind President Tinubu. The recent high-profile defections are being interpreted by political observers as a major setback for his efforts to build a formidable coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The mass defection is also being viewed as a boost to the APC’s influence in the South-South region and a possible sign of shifting political alliances ahead of future contests.
