Bayo Onanuga criticises Atiku’s coalition

Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s political ambitions as doomed, following the rapid disintegration of his proposed coalition and the defection of key allies to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Onanuga criticized the coalition efforts being led by Atiku, which includes a former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, ex-SGF Babachir Lawal, and Labour Party’s vice presidential candidate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed.

“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,” Onanuga stated.

Onanuga’s comments came in reaction to a similar post by fellow presidential aide Tunde Rahman, who noted that the PDP’s internal crisis had deepened with the defection of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and incumbent Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to the APC.

Rahman described the development as “the biggest shocker ever” for Atiku, whose 2023 presidential bid fell short.

He argued that with PDP governors now aligning with President Bola Tinubu, the coalition was “dead on arrival.”

He said, “Indeed, the counting of PDP Governors crossing over to APC has begun.

“Isn’t Atiku coalition dead on arrival? As my people will say, the glimpses of a Saturday that will be good will manifest from Friday.”