Apparently miffed by his open support for his political opponent, President Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has disowned Bar Daniel Bwala, who served as a spokesperson for his presidential campaign during the last year’s presidential poll.
Speaking in a statement made available on Tuesday by his media office, Atiku insisted that Bwala is not and has never been his aide beyond his roles as a spokesperson for his presidential campaign between 2022 and early 2023.
The former Vice President said Bwala’s roles in the presidential campaign terminated with the election coming to an end last year.
The statement reads in part, “It is important that the media and the general public take corrective note of defining Mr Daniel Bwala as an aide to His Excellency Atiku Abubakar.
“Bwala offered his services and support to the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organization as a spokesperson – and it was a position he held during the last presidential campaign.”
It is important to note that Atiku’s statement denying ties with Bwala came amid growing rapport between Bwala and President Tinubu.
Bwala also transformed from being an unsparing attacker of Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), during the campaigns to being an apostle of his policies after Tinubu was inaugurated as president.
His public support for Tinubu on social media and national TVs earned him privileged meetings with the president within and outside the country in January.
On January 11, Bwala honoured an invitation to the Presidential Villa as the president’s guest while the lawyer said he was committed to working for the president and had no apologies for doing so.
Bwala also told the State House correspondents that, “In the last few days, I have been expressing my surprise and appreciation to the president for the decisions he is taking. So this is not about political parties. And you need to know that like I said, I was with him before I left.”
He also said on TV later on that he informed Atiku of his plan to meet Tinubu and also updated him after returning from the Presidential Villa.
According to Bwala, Atiku replied his message, saying, “Thanks for notifying me”.
Later in January, Bwala met again with Tinubu in France, further fuelling speculations of his imminent return to the ruling APC.
Here is the full text of Atiku’s statement
Bwala is a former spokesperson of Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation and not a former aide to the former Vice President.
It is important that the media and the general public take corrective note of defining Mr Daniel Bwala as an aide to His Excellency Atiku Abubakar.
Bwala offered his services and support to the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organization as a spokesperson – and it was a position he held during the last presidential campaign.
Subsequently, and after the election, the need for a campaign spokesperson has terminated, and Bwala has moved on with his career.
This, therefore, serves as notice to the media and the interested public to desist from defining Bwala as an ex-aide of Atiku Abubakar.
We duly urge the public to henceforth recognize, introduce, and define Daniel Bwala by his current vocation and alliance.
Signed:
Atiku Media Office
Abuja
13th February, 2024.
