Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has rejected claims by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, that he attempted to recruit him for his 2023 presidential campaign, describing the allegation as baseless and unworthy of serious response.
Obi, through his media aide Ibrahim Umar, issued the statement in Abuja on Friday, emphasising that he had no dealings with Bwala and does not engage in transactional politics. While the camp noted that the claim would normally not merit a reply, it said a response was necessary in the public interest to prevent misinformation.
“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 said.
Obi’s team drew a stark distinction between the former governor’s political approach and what it called the transactional tendencies of Bwala. “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. 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 statement concluded with a direct appeal to Bwala and others with similar motives: “For the umpteenth time, we call on Bwala and others like him to count Obi out of their greed, repent, and join us in the quest for a new Nigeria.”
The denial responds to Bwala’s recent interview with On-Air Personality Daddy Freeze, in which he claimed that Obi attempted to enlist him in the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential campaign via former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Bwala said the approach was made during a meeting at the Hilton Hotel in London, attended by Obasanjo, Obi’s running mate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, and other political figures, but he declined the overture despite his respect for the former president.
