Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has said that former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai does not have the ability to challenge Tinubu.

Speaking in an interview with TVC News on February 6, Bwala stated that Tinubu is not bothered by El-Rufai’s frequent criticisms of his administration.

He dismissed concerns about opposition politicians regrouping, saying the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is the only well-structured party in Nigeria.

Bwala emphasized that Tinubu’s leadership style is about unity and not aggression. He noted that despite many criticisms, Tinubu has never reacted harshly.

Recently, El-Rufai accused the APC of straying from its core values, claiming he no longer recognizes the party.

In response, Bwala questioned whether El-Rufai would still criticize if he had been given a position in Tinubu’s government. However, El-Rufai insisted he would continue speaking his mind regardless.

Bwala further argued that El-Rufai’s political success was largely due to former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He claimed that El-Rufai could not win a senatorial election on his own. According to Bwala, El-Rufai became governor because of Buhari’s support and got re-elected for the same reason.

“If he runs for Senate in Kaduna now, he won’t win,” Bwala stated, adding that El-Rufai needs a strong revolutionary leader to succeed in politics.

Bwala concluded that no opposition party, even if united, could unsettle President Tinubu.