Atiku Media Office Disowns Daniel Bwala.
According to Tuesday’s statement from the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala was not an adviser to the ex-Vice President but rather a spokesperson for the campaign in the 2023 elections, according to the Media Office of Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The former vice president’s press office had previously emphasised that Bwala had served as a spokesperson for the Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign and had given his services and support to the current group.
After the election, Bwala’s services were no longer needed as a campaign spokesperson, and he continued his professional journey.
This should be taken as a warning to the media and the general people that Bwala should not be identified as an associate of Atiku Abubakar.
“We sincerely encourage the general public to from this point forward identify, present, and characterise Daniel Bwala in relation to his present occupation and affiliation,” the statement continued.
Bwala, who was an outspoken opponent of APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, had previously stated that he had not abandoned Atiku by lending his support to the former governor of Lagos State, who emerged victorious in the February 2023 presidential nomination.
His newfound support for Tinubu, whom he had previously criticised during the 2023 campaign, prompted what he deemed as ridiculous comments.
Bwala left the ruling APC in July 2022 after Tinubu named Kashim Shettima, an ex-governor of Borno state, as his running partner. The politician and lawyer blasted Tinubu for choosing a Muslim as his running partner and hopped on the bandwagon of former vice president and Muslim Atiku, who paired up with former Delta governor Ifeanyi Okowa, a Christian.
During the campaign leading up to the last election, Bwala was one of Atiku’s most outspoken and harsh spokespeople.
But on January 10, 2024, the lawyer stunned Nigerians by meeting with the president at the Aso Villa in Abuja, the political capital of Nigeria, and announcing his unwavering support for the president. A few weeks down the road, he’d finally meet Tinubu in Paris, France.
“Even ideology, you have the freedom to alter ideas,” the lawyer said to the many who have criticised Bwala’s political philosophy, which has drawn a torrent of vicious criticism.
The attorney had previously claimed that, when serving as Atiku’s campaign spokesperson in the previous run for office, he was essentially a salesperson whose only job description was pitching products and slamming rivals. After Atiku lost the election, Bwala abruptly changed his mind and said he never said Tinubu wasn’t qualified to be president of Nigeria. He went on to say that Tinubu is fine with the position.
During his visit, the president did not guarantee him a position in his cabinet, but he expressed his willingness to cooperate with the president in any way that would benefit the Nigerian people.