By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has rejected allegations made by Daniel Bwala, a special aide to President Bola Tinubu, that Obi attempted to recruit him for his 2023 election campaign.
In a statement released on Friday by his media aide, Ibrahim Umar, Obi described the accusation as baseless and emphasized his commitment to what he termed “transactional politics.”
“Normally, we would not dignify Bwala’s baseless accusations with a reply, given his well-documented history of dishonesty. However, we feel it is necessary to address this matter for the benefit of the public, who may be misled,” the statement read.
The former Anambra State governor’s camp further dismissed the idea of engaging individuals like Bwala in political activities, stating that Obi prioritizes value-driven politics over personal gain.
“Obi has made it clear that he excludes individuals like Bwala from his political activities and any form of transactional politics that sustain people like him in political circles. The Obi that Nigerians know and appreciate will never engage in such practices. He would rather allocate resources to provide desks for children in Bwala’s village than pay him to concoct falsehoods for public consumption,” the statement added.
The response follows recent claims made by Bwala, the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, during an interview with media personality Daddy Freeze. Bwala alleged that Obi, through former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had sought to bring him into the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential campaign.
According to Bwala, the request was made during a meeting in London while Obasanjo was at the Hilton Hotel with Obi’s running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, and other political stakeholders. Bwala stated that he declined the offer despite his respect for the former president.
Bwala also claimed that Ambassador Amuchi Osuk had been appointed by Obi’s team to coordinate early campaign activities. He further addressed speculation about his political leanings at the time, clarifying that his decision was not based on the religious composition of any ticket, contrary to assumptions that he would naturally support a Christian candidate over the eventual Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress.
This exchange is the latest in a series of political sparring between opposition figures and allies of the current administration in the aftermath of the 2023 general elections.
