LAGOS, Nigeria – Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy, has claimed that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, will soon defect from the party.
Speaking in an interview on TVC on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Bwala suggested that Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, would join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Do you know we are emptying the Labour Party? Not because we are asking them to come. Valentine Ozigbo has joined us, Balami has joined us, even Peter Obi will join us,” Bwala said.
He further asserted that Obi’s close associate, Valentine Ozigbo, who recently defected to the APC, is a key indicator of Obi’s potential move.
“Peter Obi will not run in the Labour Party. For Valentine Ozigbo to come to our party—Valentine Ozigbo is actually the custodian of Peter Obi—then I know for a fact that Peter Obi will join us,” Bwala added.
Bwala also downplayed the significance of Nasir El-Rufai’s recent defection from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), describing it as “insignificant.”
He accused the SDP of orchestrating weekly announcements to dominate news headlines.
“You see, after one or two weeks of this mini-dramatic activity—because the way they scheme these things is that every week, you will hear a breaking news story that ‘a gladiator has joined SDP’—so they will dominate the media space,” he said.
Bwala predicted internal conflicts within the SDP, stating, “By the time the two weeks is over and they are able to enjoy this momentary coverage, when they sit down they’ll start fighting over who will be president or vice-president.”
He also suggested that El-Rufai chose the SDP over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because he could not exert control within the PDP.
“The reason El-Rufai did not go to the PDP is because he can’t dictate things there, but he told the world that the chairman of SDP is his friend. So they went there because they want to dictate,” Bwala said.
El-Rufai announced his departure from the APC on Monday, March 10,2025, citing “conflicting values” with the ruling party.
His defection has sparked debates about the future of opposition politics in Nigeria, particularly as the 2027 elections approach.
Bwala’s comments have drawn mixed reactions, with some dismissing them as speculative and others viewing them as a sign of the APC’s confidence in consolidating its political dominance.
As the political landscape continues to shift, analysts are closely watching the movements of key figures like Obi and El-Rufai, whose decisions could significantly impact the dynamics of Nigeria’s political parties.
