The Special Advisor to on Media and Public Communication and seasoned lawyer, Daniel Bwala has criticised Nigeria’s opposition parties as disconnected from the realities facing citizens, accusing them of relying on blame rather than presenting clear, workable alternatives.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS, Bwala described the opposition as fragmented and driven by self-interest, contrasting their approach with the political trajectory of Bola Tinubu after leaving office in 2007.
“I think it’s the only asset they have, which is blame-fixing and then leveraging on any misfortune that happened in Nigeria as a talking point. But they have far disconnected themselves from the realities confronting the Nigerian people with a view to bringing out a touchable, feelable, traceable, and impactful alternative as to why they want this government out and they want to come onboard,” he said.
He added, “Take a look at the life of President Bola Tinubu after 2007 when he left office. He never contested for any position, he was busy building a party. If you contrast it with what’s happening now, look at how they all gathered in ADC and NDC and they were talking high heavens and suddenly they woke up one morning and they all ran to another one, I think it’s NDC, but you can see that even among themselves they are now pointing out or exposing the motivation behind the defection.”
Addressing claims that recent political realignments are strategic, Bwala dismissed the moves as signs of confusion rather than calculated planning.
“How can a move that has shattered them be strategic for example? One, by leaving ADC you can see effectively ADC is dead. I mean anybody who thinks there is life in ADC is in fool’s paradise. Then the NDC where they have gathered, this is a gathering of internally displaced politicians who are yet to identify their purpose. If you remember where he left ADC to NDC, what was the accusation of ADC? That he couldn’t even understand the manifesto of that party. Now within a short time how can Peter Obi create a manifesto? And if you don’t have a manifesto so what are you riding on as to the reason why you want this government out and that you have a better alternative? So there is nothing strategic about it, it is the aftermath of confusion,” he maintained.
Responding to questions about his own political switches, Bwala deflected, insisting the focus should instead be on scrutinising the actions of Obi. He argued that the media has not applied the same level of scrutiny to Obi’s party changes, maintaining that until such concerns are fully examined, it is unfair to question others about similar decisions.
“No, I don’t even have time to answer that question until the media interrogate Peter Obi who has been jumping up and down. So let me also say it by the way that until you are able to interrogate the characteristic motivation and the character of Peter Obi changing parties, you don’t have the right to ask others why they change parties,” he insisted.
Reacting to claims of a surge in support following recent defection to the NDC, Bwala dismissed reports that millions had joined the movement within 48 hours, describing the figures as unrealistic and unverifiable.
“They are lying. There is no software that within 48 hours would have registered 10 million people immediately. They are lying, this is their characteristic,” he said.
On the wave of defections in the National Assembly, Bwala acknowledged the movement of lawmakers as factual but attributed it to political convenience rather than influence.
“That one is factual. You can see 17 people move. No, the reason why they move is because they belong to the other opposition,” he noted.
He maintained that politicians often align with platforms where they have better chances of securing tickets, downplaying the role of Peter Obi in driving loyalty. According to him, such shifts raise broader concerns about internal democracy within opposition ranks and the motivations behind their alliances.
“People move to where they can easily get the ticket, not because Peter Obi is anything. They feel that if they go, they join him in the new one because Peter Obi’s characteristic is not to contest primaries. So if you are a friend of Peter Obi, whichever party he moves you follow him, you are guaranteed automatic ticket. Is that democratic? Are these people serious?”, he quizzed.
Responding to Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed’s remarks of the North not supporting Obi, Bwala rejected ethnic-based political claims, saying support for leaders should not be defined by region.
“This is ethnic politics and I don’t subscribe to that. Ethnic politics is what we must not allow,” he stressed.
Insisting that leadership should instead be judged on competence, vision, and track record, Bwala said:
“I will rather look at the person’s characteristics, his vision and whether his track record has demonstrated that.”
Responding to claims that the presidency may be contributing to tensions within opposition parties, Bwala argued that political instability within opposition stems from their own internal weaknesses rather than external interference.
“Let me tell you, if you create a very good climate in your house there’s no way a stranger can come and create a problem,” he said.
The special advisor, on allegations of hate speech, acknowledged concerns but shifted responsibility to supporters of Obi, accusing them of driving hostile online narratives.
“I wish that the media will continue to hammer on hate speech because the custodians of hate speech are the Peter Obi and his foot soldiers online and in media houses. This is where you see the breeding of hate speech,” Bwala alleged.
He rejected suggestions that the presidency is acting out of fear, maintaining instead that electoral competition remains open and determined by performance and track records.
“How can you look at this political party and be jittery? In fact it is even disingenuous, but because it is constitution where we all come together on the same table we debate about whether Peter Obi will defeat Asiwaju, whether Atiku defeat Asiwaju. Peter Obi. But in all political climate anybody who say he wants to be president must have the right to express himself, if not Peter Obi is a non-issue, the other candidate is a non-issue,” he maintained.
Addressing concerns about President Tinubu’s foreign engagements, Bwala argued that investor interest in Nigeria is already evident through improving economic indicators and increased business activity.
“I’m saying that people are attested to the fact that more investors have come since Asiwaju came onboard than during Buhari. Look at the numbers, look at the indices, look at how we’ve been able to clear the backlog we’re creating environment for business. You have assurances, you have return on investment, you can repatriate your money. All of these elements are what the business investors look at not just rhetoric. And once the indices are in place there is a political will to ensure that there is a level playing field they come in and they are coming. So him meeting with investors in Paris in the next coming days and weeks or month you will see the effect of that in our economy,” he assured.
According to him, these developments would demonstrate that foreign visits are not merely symbolic, but part of a broader strategy to attract sustainable economic investment.
“So we’re going to expect results for example in the area of defense, we talked about it local production of military hardwares. We are going to expect data about agriculture also because we are revamping the agricultural sector. But also in creating the business environment in IT, you know, information and technology and service delivery, which is key in the global economy at the moment. We are going to see more of that. We’re seeing local investors, entrepreneurs, that’s small and medium-scale enterprises. You see the way they are expanding. So, this is what we are going to see and more of it in the coming days.”
Speaking on Nigeria’s rising debt and poverty levels, Bwala said they should be viewed in the context of ongoing reforms, insisting that borrowing is not harmful when directed toward productive infrastructure.
“If you look at the debt stock that you talked about—look at nations, advanced countries of the world, they borrow. Borrowing, like the way the President rightly put it, is not a leprosy as long as what you’re borrowing you can invest it in the critical area of the economy. You have seen our borrowing in infrastructure, which is key in Nigeria in creating an environment for economic growth,” he highlighted.
Insisting that recent GDP trends show gradual improvement he pointed to government interventions in health, education, and agriculture as signs of economic recovery.
“You can see steady growth in our GDP in the last one year. One fact that you cannot take away is that the numbers have shown in the last one year, we have seen GDP growth because of the activities in the economy. We are making the effort and you can see the result in the intervention that we’re providing across all sectors—in the health sector, in the agriculture sector, in education,” he pointed.
On issues of insecurity in Nigeria, the special advisor to the president said the situation is influenced by repeated election related periods and criminal exploitation of economic conditions. But he said that government efforts are ongoing and expressed confidence that security conditions would improve after the 2027 elections.
“If you look at the number and the stats, more of those that you call insecurity around this eve of election are the ones that fall within the crisis economy where you see banditry and ransom kidnapping and all that for economic activity. Whenever election comes close, it is that criminal element—for them, it is also a conducive environment for them to thrive. But government is not sitting on its oars because you can see—I’ll keep notifying Nigerians and informing them about the effort we’re making, but much more than that, about the result we’re securing arising from that. You’ll be shocked: immediately after the 2027 election, you’ll just see insecurity will disappear again,” he promised.
The special adviser further said that the removal of estimated electricity billing reflects progress on campaign promises of the president, arguing that consumers are now being charged based on actual usage rather than estimates.
“Let me tell you what the President said: ‘You will not need to pay for estimated power charges. And then number two, we’ll be able to deal with the light problem.’ Now one phase of the promise has been fulfilled. People in Nigeria are not paying estimated billing. They give you a meter and it gives you the accurate consumption of your power,” he explained.
Favour Odima
Follow us on:
