LIE! Obi rejected Bwala’s claim that he was asked to join the 2023 campaign

Peter Obi, former Labor Party (Nigeria) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has denied accusations of trying to recruit Daniel Bwala into his campaign team.

Bwala, who is currently Special Adviser on Policy Communications to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, claimed that Obi sought his involvement in the campaign through an approach allegedly facilitated by former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

Responding to this on Friday, Obi dismissed the allegations, describing them as baseless and not worthy of serious engagement. The clarification was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by his media aide, Ibrahim Umar.

The statement read, “Normally, we would not dignify Bwala’s baseless allegations with a reply, given his well-documented history of dishonesty. However, we felt it necessary to address this issue in the interest of the public, which may have been misled.

“Obi has made it clear that he excludes individuals like Bwala from his political activities and any form of transactional politics that favors people like him in political circles. Obi who is known and respected by the Nigerian people would never engage in such practices. He would rather allocate resources to provide tables for children in Bwala village than pay him to fabricate lies for public consumption.

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“Obi’s approach was rooted in pursuing good governance and creating a better society for everyone. He did not pay people to promote a cause; instead, he invited them to join him in believing in a shared vision. For the umpteenth time, we call on Bwala and those like him to take Obi for their greed, repent, and join us in the quest for a new Nigeria.”

The denial followed Bwala’s comments during an interview with On-Air Personality Daddy Freeze, where he accused Obi of trying to sign him up for the 2023 campaign through Obasanjo during a meeting in London.

According to Bwala, the conversation took place at the Hilton Hotel, where Obasanjo met with Obi’s running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, as well as other political stakeholders.

Bwala said he rejected the proposal despite his respect for the former president. He also alleged that Ambassador Amuchi Osuk had been appointed by Obi’s team to coordinate the initial activities of the campaign.

The presidential aide further discussed assumptions regarding his political alignment at the time, stating that some observers believed he would naturally support a Christian candidate over the Muslim-Muslim candidate ultimately adopted by the ruling All Progressives Congress.

This latest exchange highlights ongoing tensions between figures associated with the current government and opposition actors following the 2023 presidential election.