ABUJA — Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has launched a scathing critique of Labour Party’s Peter Obi and Nigeria’s emerging opposition coalition, accusing them of lacking credible policy alternatives, peddling misinformation, and failing to show true leadership.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Bwala described the opposition as a “coalition of internally displaced politicians,” arguing that their public criticisms of the Tinubu administration are based on sentiment rather than substance.
“They have not brought a single alternative policy to the table,” Bwala said. “All they do is criticise and issue press statements. The truth is they lack vision and have not shown Nigerians they truly care.”
His remarks were in response to Peter Obi’s recent appearance on the same show, during which the former Anambra State governor lambasted the Tinubu government for alleged insensitivity, wasteful spending, and failure to address worsening economic and security challenges.
Bwala pushed back, questioning Obi’s ability to provide practical solutions. “You asked him how he would handle subsidy removal differently — he said he would do it in an organised way but couldn’t explain what that means,” Bwala argued. “On power, he said it’s not rocket science. Yet he gave no clear answers.”
On the topic of empathy, Bwala claimed President Tinubu has shown more concern for the Nigerian people than Obi. “He [Obi] said the President didn’t visit Mokwa or Yawata after attacks, but where was Peter Obi? You don’t need to be President to show empathy,” Bwala said, adding that Tinubu had delegated his top security officials to visit affected communities as permitted under the Constitution.
Responding to concerns about Nigeria’s rising debt profile, Bwala dismissed opposition claims, blaming the increase on naira devaluation rather than new borrowing. “In dollar terms, our debt has actually decreased — from about $130 billion to $97 billion,” he asserted.
He also accused Obi of misrepresenting his record as governor, citing student dropouts due to fee hikes, health worker strikes, and the controversial sacking of a Vice Chancellor in Anambra State. “That’s not the legacy of someone who says he cares,” Bwala said.
On the newly formed opposition alliance, Bwala predicted a quick collapse, calling it a fragile coalition driven by ambition. “Everyone in that coalition wants to be President. In six months, it won’t even be a conversation,” he declared.
Bwala also claimed that Obi’s influence is waning ahead of the 2027 election. “He’s not even the presidential candidate anymore. He’s now lobbying to be campaign director-general. That’s a long fall from grace.”
Despite mounting public discontent over economic hardship and insecurity, Bwala insisted the Tinubu administration is making real progress. “Obi says he wants to invest in education. We are already doing that. Over 300,000 poor Nigerians have returned to school under this government,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to focus on results rather than rhetoric. “The opposition is offering fantasy. We’re offering results,” Bwala concluded.
