Ndume Planning To Join Atiku, Obi’s Coalition, Tinubu’s Aide Bwala Alleges

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has alleged that the Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, may be preparing to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and align with the emerging opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’, monitored by our correspondent on Sunday night, Bwala warned the APC leadership to be cautious of Ndume’s loyalty.

“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 declared.

In a veiled comparison, Bwala praised former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai for what he described as a more honourable approach.

“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,” he added.

Bwala’s comments followed mounting tensions between Ndume and the President Bola Tinubu administration over alleged lopsided appointment and state of the nation.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Ndume criticised President Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, arguing that priority should be given to national security and economic reform instead.

He further stirred controversy by suggesting that the President should be concerned if former President Muhammadu Buhari no longer supports him. This came shortly after Buhari received Atiku and other opposition leaders in Kaduna in what appeared to be a politically strategic visit.

The development came amid intensified talks of a grand opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections. On March 20, 2025, opposition figures, including Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai, announced plans to form a united front to unseat Tinubu, citing economic mismanagement and a soaring cost of living under the current administration.

Analysts say the coalition was banking on the combined voting power of Atiku and Obi, who secured over 12 million votes in the 2023 presidential election, about four million more than Tinubu’s declared tally by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

As of the time of this report, Senator Ndume was yet to respond to Bwala’s claims.