Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has taken a swipe at former presidential candidate Peter Obi, arguing that controversial social media figure Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has shown more concern for the people.
Bwala criticized Obi’s comments over President Tinubu’s absence from Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, following the killings in the area.
He aired his views on Politics Today, a political program on Channels Television.
While challenging Obi’s position, Bwala said:
“VeryDarkMan has more empathy than Peter Obi, he is not a politician but he was in Benue. Why does he have to wait until he becomes president before he gets to Benue? Empathy is personal.”
He described leadership as a matter of priority and questioned the practical impact of a presidential visit to the affected community:
“One thing about leadership is that you have so many things and you have to prioritize them. If the president were to be physically in Yelewata, would it have made the difference that he was in Benue?”
He dismissed Obi’s criticism as unfounded.
“Some of this rhetoric of Peter Obi and the opposition is neither here nor there. They lack basic things to talk about.”
Bwala also pointed to inconsistency in criticisms directed at the president.
“If he was not in Benue they would say he was not in Benue, now he went to Benue, why didn’t he go to Yelewata? The shifting of goal post is one of the elements you will find in these internally displaced politicians.”
He continued, “How many of them are gasping for power now, who among them have gone there?”
READ ALSO: Bwala Predicts Peter Obi’s Defection to APC
Bwala insisted that Obi lacked a basic understanding of how presidential power is exercised.
“Peter Obi was talking about the president commissioning something instead of going to where people died, if he understands institutions of the presidency, if he understands leadership or even knows the constitution of Nigeria, he would know that under Section 5, the president exercises that power through the Vice President, ministers, agency heads, and government of the Federation.”
He added that the government has responded appropriately through its key officials.
“The NSA has been going to all these places where there are crises, the military officers have been going to all these places where there are crises, the intelligence officers have been going to all these places where there are crises.
These individuals are Representatives of Mr President, except he doesn’t know what section 5 is.”