Presidential aide on Media and Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, has described former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as Nigeria’s “number one flippant politician,” accusing him of making unverified claims and using negative narratives to remain politically relevant.
Bwala made the controversial remark during an interview on Niger Unfiltered, where he also accused the opposition of relying heavily on insults, fake news and provocative narratives rather than engaging the government on substantive policy issues.
According to him, Obi’s political style involves making statements that leave people with unanswered questions while presenting what he described as unverified facts.
“Peter Obi is number one flippant person. He never tells the truth. He is not a witness of truth and there is a way he goes about it. He leaves you in the middle,” Bwala said.
The presidential aide alleged that Obi’s “stock-in-trade” was to promote negative reports and unverified information, adding that Nigerians should scrutinise his claims before accepting them as facts.
Bwala’s comments came while discussing the recent controversy involving Obi after his vehicle was reportedly clamped by officials in Lagos.
The presidential aide argued that Obi, despite being a former presidential candidate, was not above the law and should not expect preferential treatment.
He said, “The fact that you are a former presidential candidate does not mean you have arrogated to yourself the status of a president that you can go and do a wrong parking at the airport.”
Bwala also dismissed claims that Obi’s life was under threat, arguing that the former Anambra State governor’s recent comments about threats to his safety were connected to the incident involving his vehicle.
He said the former presidential candidate had not previously complained directly about threats to his life in the manner he did following the incident.
The presidential aide further accused the opposition of deliberately twisting statements made by government officials in order to create negative publicity for the Tinubu administration.
According to him, three characteristics define the current opposition: lack of clear ideas, insults and fake news.
“Three things are the characteristic of the opposition. One, lack of clear mind to talk about issues. Number two, insulting people. And the third one is fake news,” Bwala said.
He argued that opposition politicians often avoid substantive discussions because they lack alternative policies to present to Nigerians.
Bwala also criticised what he described as the tendency of opposition figures to focus on personalities rather than issues, saying they frequently resort to insults because such comments generate attention and media coverage.
He said the opposition should instead focus on presenting alternative solutions to the challenges facing the country.
The presidential aide’s comments are likely to generate further reactions from supporters of Obi and opposition parties, particularly as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi, who reportedly came third in the 2023 presidential election, remains a major opposition figure and has continued to attract significant support, particularly among young Nigerians.
Bwala, however, has repeatedly argued that President Bola Tinubu’s political support base has expanded since the 2023 election and that the president remains well-positioned for re-election in 2027.
He recently predicted that Tinubu would defeat his opponents in Ogun State “in a landslide” in the 2027 presidential election, while dismissing the political relevance of Governor Seyi Makinde in the national presidential race.
