Obi denies seeking Bwala’s support, says he does not do transactional politics

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has denied claims by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, that he sought to recruit him into his 2023 presidential campaign, describing the allegation as baseless.

Obi made the clarification in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by his media aide, Ibrahim Umar, insisting that he had no dealings with Bwala and would not associate with what he described as transactional politics.

While noting that the allegation ordinarily would not deserve a response, the statement said it became necessary to clarify the issue in the public interest.

“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.

Obi’s camp also took a swipe at Bwala, contrasting the former governor’s political philosophy with what it described as the transactional tendencies of his accuser.

“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 said.

The rebuttal concluded with a pointed appeal directed at Bwala and others with similar political dispositions.

“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,” it stated.

Bwala had earlier alleged during an interview with On-Air Personality Daddy Freeze that Obi attempted to enlist him into the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential campaign through former President Olusegun Obasanjo during a meeting at the Hilton Hotel in London, which he said was attended by Obi’s running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, and other political stakeholders, but he declined the overture despite his respect for the former president.