Tinubu’s aide taunts Atiku over Okowa’s defection to APC

In a scathing political broadside, presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has declared the collapse of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposed opposition coalition, following the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Onanuga, in a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, mocked Atiku’s political aspirations, describing his efforts to forge a grand alliance as a failed venture.

He pointed to the defection of Okowa—Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election—as the final blow to what he labeled a “leprous” coalition.

“Atiku’s political future looks bleak. The coalition that he, El-Rufai, Babachir, and new member Baba-Ahmed are cobbling together has disintegrated,” Onanuga wrote.

He further asserted that the group has lost credibility as former allies, including members of the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), have distanced themselves from Atiku’s camp.

He didn’t spare others reportedly involved in the coalition effort, such as former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, and Labour Party’s 2023 vice presidential candidate Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, implying that the group is politically irrelevant and fragmented.

READ ALSO: Onanuga: Atiku a “Loser” as PDP defections shatter 2027 coalition dreams

Adding his voice, another presidential aide, Tunde Rahman, backed Onanuga’s remarks, stating that the PDP’s internal woes had reached a crisis point with the defection of key political figures from Delta State.

“Today, Atiku received his biggest shock yet. His 2023 running mate, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and Okowa’s successor, Sheriff Oborevwori, both dumped the sinking PDP ship for the APC, signaling the beginning of an exodus,” Rahman said.

He suggested that Atiku’s hopes of unifying discontented elements within Nigeria’s political landscape have crumbled as many former allies are now rallying behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The comments from Onanuga and Rahman come amid a wave of defections from the PDP, with analysts suggesting a realignment of political interests ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The development casts further doubt on Atiku’s political resurgence and underscores growing fractures within the opposition ranks.

With the PDP battling internal discord and losing high-profile members to the ruling APC, the path forward for Atiku’s coalition—and indeed his personal political ambitions—appears increasingly uncertain.