The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, said he neither seeks nor requires validation from political opportunists who shed principles as easily as they change parties.

Atiku made the statement through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday in response to comments made by Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, during an interview on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday.

Bwala said, “APC didn’t miss anything about Elrufai’s exit. He’s free to pursue his personal ambitions. Atiku should accept the will of God and stop running against destiny. Coalition is dead on arrival….”

However, Atiku called it both ironic and unfortunate that Bwala, who previously served as his spokesperson, now assumes the role of lecturing a globally respected statesman on issues like legacy, destiny, and retirement.

The statement read in part, “His sanctimonious pontificating, laced with bitterness and duplicity, betrays a desperate effort to curry favour with a floundering administration clearly shaken by the unstoppable momentum of the national coalition being galvanised by Atiku and other progressive leaders.

“Let it be clearly stated: Atiku Abubakar neither seeks nor requires validation from political opportunists who shed principles as easily as they change parties. Mr. Bwala’s current relevance, if any, is owed entirely to the platform he once occupied under Atiku’s leadership — a fact that should breed humility, not arrogance.

“The Tinubu camp’s obsession with Atiku’s political future is no coincidence. If, as they claim, Atiku is a spent force, why the relentless smear campaign? Why the strategic allocation of presidential platforms to attack him? The answer is plain: Atiku Abubakar remains the single most formidable opposition figure in Nigeria, and the coalition he is forging represents a clear and present danger to the decaying edifice of the ruling party.

“This broad-based alliance, aimed at reclaiming Nigeria from economic collapse, institutional failure, and democratic erosion, has clearly rattled the ruling elite. No amount of historical revisionism or sanctimony can obscure the fact that Atiku has been a central pillar in Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999, championing reform, restructuring, and electoral integrity when others chose complicity.”

The former Vice President said he would not be distracted by political jesters pretending to be patriots, emphasizing that rescuing and rebuilding Nigeria is a matter of urgent national importance.

It continued, “Legacy Is not defined by the trappings of office but by courage, consistency, and conviction. Atiku Abubakar’s legacy — as a unifier, builder, and patriot — is deeply etched in the consciousness of millions of Nigerians. It is impervious to the revisionist bile of yesterday’s defectors turned today’s defenders of dysfunction.

“We reaffirm, unequivocally, that the Waziri Adamawa remains focused and unshaken in his commitment to Nigeria’s future. He will not be distracted by political jesters masquerading as patriots.

“The rescue and rebuilding of Nigeria is a task of urgent national importance — far too important to be derailed by the petty ego trips of desperate presidential aides.” (The PUNCH)