Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Policy, has cautioned Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against accepting a vice-presidential slot ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a recent interview on Channels Television, Bwala described such a decision as Obi’s “biggest mistake”, warning that it could dismantle the Obidient movement — the core of his political following.
According to Bwala, Obi’s supporters threw their weight behind him because of his presidential ambition. Any move to settle for a lesser position, he argued, would instantly erode their loyalty.
“Peter Obi will be making the biggest mistake of his life to now come together under the agreement he will be a running mate,” Bwala said.
He further emphasized, “The minute Peter Obi drops the idea of running for president himself, I can guarantee you he will lose the majority of the people that are following him.”
Bwala also hinted that Obi himself might not be entirely comfortable with such an arrangement.
“This is without taking away the fact that Peter Obi himself may not be comfortable in that arrangement,” he added.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Bwala confidently stated that no Nigerian politician currently has what it takes to defeat President Bola Tinubu.
“Let’s leave joke aside. Most of them are prodigies of Asho (Tinubu), a man who won election when all the forces were against him,” he remarked.
“How can such a man now lose election when he’s in power, when he has the opportunity to deliver on good governance and to stretch his hand to build national consensus?” Bwala asked.
He also pointed to the growing wave of defections from the opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that these movements suggest any attempt to form a strong coalition against Tinubu would be “dead on arrival.”
“Governors, on the platforms of their parties are joining us, senators are joining us… the people are coming under the tutelage of President Bola Tinubu,” Bwala stated.
Despite acknowledging that the president is not without flaws, Bwala insisted Tinubu remains unmatched in political structure and leadership intent within Nigeria’s political landscape.
“The President may not be perfect, he may make mistakes, but one fact is clear — his head and his heart are right,” Bwala said. “There is no politician alive today that has the political gravitas to gather people as much as the president. We are not bothered.”
