Tinubu Adviser Says Peter Obi Politically Stranded, Unlikely to Contest on ADC Ticket
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has said that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi will neither secure the presidential nor vice-presidential nomination of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Bwala described Obi as “politically stranded.”
Speaking on The Clarity Zone Podcast, Bwala argued that Obi lacks the political capacity to lead or coordinate any coalition, including serving as director-general of a political alliance.
According to the aide, Obi lost control of the political structure he built after the 2023 general election and no longer wields significant influence in Nigeria’s political landscape.
“After the election, he lost everybody he was leading. He had members in the House of Representatives. How many are there in the National Assembly?” Bwala asked, questioning Obi’s current relevance.
He further noted that Obi no longer enjoys support from sitting governors or elected officials. “The only governor he had… is he with him or with us? In fact, I have not seen one that identifies with him at the moment,” he said.
Bwala also claimed that candidates backed by Obi performed poorly in subsequent elections across the country, insisting that none recorded electoral success.
Social Media Criticism
The presidential aide criticised Obi’s social media supporters, accusing them of attacking political opponents while overlooking Obi’s own record of frequent party switches.
“The army of Trojans that he has on social media, they attack people. They say you are two-faced, that you change party,” Bwala said. “But when you point out that their hero has been changing parties like a Premier League player switches clubs, they don’t like it.”
Bwala highlighted Obi’s political journey, noting his moves from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), back to PDP, and then to the Labour Party (LP).
“Right now, when you hear people talk about being between the devil and the deep blue sea, he is between ADC and Labour,” Bwala added.
Future Prospects
The aide insisted that Obi would not claim either the presidential or vice-presidential ticket of the ADC and would eventually run for office on a different platform.
“He will not be the presidential candidate, he will not be the vice-presidential candidate. Peter Obi is going to run on a platform other than Labour and other than ADC,” he said.
Bwala also predicted that Obi would struggle to replicate his 2023 performance, where he polled over six million votes to finish third behind the APC and PDP candidates. He described Obi’s political rise as the product of a temporary opportunity, built more on perception than sustained grassroots support, calling him “an actor” whose popularity was “make-believe” rather than grounded in political reality.
