‘His spirit is with the coalition’ — Bwala alleges Ndume planning defection from APC

Daniel Bwala, the special adviser to the president on policy communication, has alleged that Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, is planning to join the opposition coalition.

Bwala spoke during his appearance on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television programme.

Recently, the two politicians have been trading words, taunting each other over conflicting political views.

Ndume, who has been an outspoken critic of Tinubu’s policies, opposed the tax reform bills transmitted by the president to the national assembly in 2024.

He also threatened to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) due to the proposed legislation.

However, the lawmaker has clarified that he is not a critic of Tinubu himself, but of his policies, adding that he holds the president in high esteem as his mentor.

‘HE HAS BEEN DOG WHISTLING’

Speaking on the show, Bwala alleged that Ndume had done something similar in the past, accusing the senator of acting “as a snitch” by secretly meeting with the opposition before eventually defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In 2010, the Borno lawmaker defected from the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) to the PDP, citing injustices and lack of a level playing ground.

“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.”

Ahead of the 2027 elections, opposition leaders, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Peter Obi, ex-governor of Anambra; and Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, have been holding talks about forming a coalition to challenge Tinubu in his re-election bid.

El-Rufai and some of his allies have already defected from the ruling APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of future political movements.