Tinubu aide Daniel Bwala says 2027 may be Atiku’s last chance and calls his fuel subsidy pledge a populist gamble
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, said on Friday 28 August 2026 that the 2027 election may be the last chance for African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to seek Nigeria’s highest office.
Also read: Dickson Meets Obi, Kwankwaso Ahead of 2027
Daniel Bwala made the claim on X, tying that closing window to Atiku Abubakar’s promise to restore petrol subsidy if he wins.
President Tinubu ended the subsidy at his inauguration in May 2023. The former vice-president has since said he would bring it back, arguing that the savings have not eased hardship.
“Since 2027 is likely to be his last chance to seek the office of the president, he decided to gamble on the populist rhetoric of ‘I will bring back the fuel subsidy.’ He presumed that, after all, there is nothing to lose,” Daniel Bwala wrote. “The only problem is that, to run a populist campaign, you must first ensure that you are popular with the people.”
The jab is less a revelation than a recasting. Atiku Abubakar has already said 2027 will be his final presidential contest.
In a Hausa-language interview this month he was asked if he would run again after a defeat. “No, I have said it before, right from this election, I will not contest again,” he replied. In a separate appearance he said: “Whether I win or lose, 2027 will be my last time contesting for the presidency.”
That framing matters because of age and record. Atiku Abubakar is 79 and has sought the presidency across several parties since the 1990s. He lost to President Tinubu in 2023.
Daniel Bwala has previously said the ADC coalition lacks the governors and state machines that Atiku Abubakar had then.
The subsidy argument is the sharper policy fight. Atiku Abubakar once backed removal.
He now asks where the money went. “If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money,” he has said.
The government says subsidy removal and naira reforms freed about N15.8 trillion for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025. Critics say household prices still tell a different story.
Daniel Bwala’s post tries to turn Atiku Abubakar’s own last-run line against him: not a solemn close of a long career, but a man with nothing to lose reaching for a popular slogan.
Also read: Dickson Meets Obi, Kwankwaso Ahead of 2027
The test in 2027 will be whether voters hear a gamble, or a promise they want kept.
