Stop describing Daniel Bwala as my former aide – Atiku tells media

Recall that Bwala served as Atiku’s campaign spokesperson for the 2023 presidential election.

But, Atiku has dissociated himself from Bwala, saying he’s no longer his associate.

Atiku urged the public to henceforth recognize, introduce, and define Bwala by his current vocation and alliance.

Recall that during the build-up to the election, Bwala dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) because of the party’s choice to fly a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the election.

Bwala subsequently joined Atiku in the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and was immediately drafted into the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organization.

As a campaign spokesperson for the PDP presidential candidate, Bwala tackled the APC for its choice of presidential and vice presidential candidates.

But months after Atiku lost the election to Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling APC, Bwala switched allegiance to the ruling party.

In January, Bwala visited Tinubu twice, and during his first visit, he said he owed no one any apology for visiting the president.

Bwala shared a photograph of himself and Tinubu in Paris, saying the president shared “his thoughts (with him) and demonstrated his passion to lead Nigeria out of the woods.”

Speaking on his visit to the president, Bwala claimed Atiku was aware of one of his visits to the president.

He said, “I informed Atiku Abubakar I was going to see the President. After I had seen the president, I informed him (Atiku) that I had just seen the president and he replied me that, ‘Thanks Daniel for notifying me.”

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by his media office on Tuesday, Atiku said Bwala should no longer be described as his former aide.

Atiku said his position as a campaign spokesperson ended after the election and that Bwala has moved on since then.

“Bwala offered his services and support to the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation as a spokesperson — and it was a position he held during the last presidential campaign.”

“Subsequently, and after the election, the need for a campaign spokesperson has terminated, and Bwala has moved on with his career.

“This, therefore, serves as notice to the media and the interested public to desist from defining Bwala as an ex-aide of Atiku Abubakar,” the statement reads in part.

The former vice president also urged the public to henceforth recognize, introduce, and define Bwala by his current vocation and alliance.