The Presidency has mocked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, declaring that his political future looks “bleak” following the defection of key allies, including former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and incumbent Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, is currently pushing to form a coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027. However, the recent wave of defections from the PDP appears to have shaken that ambition.
Okowa, Atiku’s 2023 running mate, officially joined the APC on Wednesday after a strategic meeting at the Delta State Government House in Asaba. “We will take the best path for our people. This decision is the right one,” Okowa stated, defending his move.
Governor Oborevwori and his deputy, Monday Onyeme, have also dumped the PDP in favor of the APC—a significant political shift in Delta, once considered a PDP stronghold.
Reacting to the defections, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, took to social media to mock Atiku. “Atiku’s political future looks bleak. The coalition he and others like El-Rufai, Babachir, and Baba-Ahmed were trying to build has already collapsed. Even Okowa and former CPC members want nothing to do with him. Atiku is a loser again,” Onanuga posted on X.
Meanwhile, amid rising concerns over the APC’s growing dominance and the erosion of opposition forces, APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru dismissed claims that the ruling party is driving Nigeria towards a one-party state.
Appearing on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Basiru argued that the opposition’s internal weaknesses, not APC interference, are to blame for its decline. “How can we be blamed for turning Nigeria into a one-party state when the opposition isn’t taking its role seriously?” he asked. “We are building a functional structure from the ward to national level—what are they doing?”
Basiru also referenced APC’s own time in opposition, recalling how Tinubu remained resilient despite political pressure and legal battles. “Tinubu stood his ground. We didn’t fold. We expanded.”
He dismissed allegations of coercion, noting that recent defectors, including lawmakers from Labour Party, PDP, NNPP, and SDP, joined the APC without any corruption allegations. “Where is the intimidation?” he asked.
Basiru pointed to the growing influence of the APC in Delta State as proof of the party’s expanding reach. “Just weeks ago in Agbor, I saw the Delta Unity Group, including the daughter of former Governor James Ibori, join the APC. It’s no surprise the opposition is rattled—Delta is slipping from their grip.”
He credited President Tinubu and the Progressive Governors’ Forum for the party’s rising momentum, likening the APC’s outreach to grassroots evangelism. “We’re like Jehovah’s Witnesses—knocking on every door, spreading the message of the APC.”
As the 2027 race begins to take shape, the defections and heated exchanges signal a turbulent road ahead for Nigeria’s political class.
