“I Would Rather Provide Desks for Children in His Village Than Pay Him to Concoct Falsehoods for Me” — Obi Slams Bwala Over 2023 Claims

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has strongly denied claims that he sought the support of Daniel Bwala during the 2023 presidential campaign, saying he would rather invest in community development than pay anyone to spread false narratives.

Obi’s response follows remarks by Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, who alleged that the former Anambra State governor attempted to recruit him into the Labour Party’s campaign ahead of the 2023 general election.

In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by his media aide, Ibrahim Umar, Obi dismissed the allegation as baseless and said he had no political dealings with Bwala.

“Ordinarily, we would not respond to such baseless accusations,” the statement said. “However, we consider it necessary to clarify the matter so that members of the public are not misled.”

Obi’s team stressed that the former governor does not engage in what it described as transactional politics, insisting that his political approach is rooted in promoting good governance and national development.

“I would rather provide desks for children in his village than pay him to concoct falsehoods for public consumption,” the statement quoted Obi as saying.

According to the statement, Obi does not pay individuals to promote his political ambitions but instead encourages Nigerians to support a shared vision for a better country.

The rebuttal comes after Bwala, in an interview with on-air personality Daddy Freeze, claimed that Obi had attempted to enlist him into the Labour Party’s campaign through former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Bwala alleged that the discussion took place during a meeting in London at the Hilton Hotel, where Obasanjo was reportedly meeting with Obi’s running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, and other political stakeholders.

He said that despite his respect for the former president, he declined the alleged request.

Bwala also claimed that Ambassador Amuchi Osuk had been appointed by Obi’s team to coordinate early campaign activities during the 2023 election period.