President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has disclosed that he was personally approached by former presidential candidate Peter Obi to join his 2023 campaign—a proposition he ultimately turned down.
In an interview with On-Air Personality Daddy Freeze, Bwala revealed that the outreach came through former President Olusegun Obasanjo while he was in London. He recounted that despite his respect for Obasanjo, he declined the invitation.
“The call came when Obasanjo was at the Hilton Hotel with Datti and other political stakeholders. When I picked up, I didn’t hear him well, so I asked, ‘Who is that?’ He said, ‘My name is Obasanjo.’ Then he told me he wanted me to join him. At the time, he was publicly denying involvement with Peter Obi’s agenda. I declined,” Bwala said.
He added that Ambassador Amuchi Osuk was later appointed by Obi’s team to oversee early campaign activities. Addressing speculation that his decision was influenced by religious considerations, Bwala explained that critics assumed he would naturally support a Christian candidate over a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“When you assume I left a Muslim-Muslim ticket because of religion, you overlook that the PDP candidate at the time was a Muslim. Yet, some Obidient supporters criticised me for not supporting a Christian candidate,” he noted.
Bwala’s account provides insight into the behind-the-scenes negotiations and strategic decisions that shaped Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
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