15th January, 2024
…Bwala denies betraying Atiku
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
Daniel Bwala, the former spokesperson of Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2023 presidential election has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not make any promise to him when he met him at the Aso Rock presidential villa last week
Bwala spoke on Channels Television while reacting to controversies that have greeted his visit to President Tinubu at the Aso Rock presidential villa last week.
Critics had accused Bwala of betrayal of Atiku Abubakar who he campaigned for against Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election by going to meet the President.
Some critics had also claimed that Bwala was enticed by the offer of appointment by the President to dump Atiku.
But Bwala dismissed the accusation during the television interview. But he said he would appreciate it if the President offered him the appointment.
“People are unfair to President Bola Tinubu. He has never promised me anything. if the President make an offer of a position that I see will contribute to the achievement of his agenda because I said I will contribute to his agenda, I would more than anything else appreciate it. But it is not the appointment that I am looking for to support the President,” Bwala said.
He added that he supported former President Muhammadu Buhari for eight years without being offered any appointment. For eight years, I support Buhari, I did not hold any post.
“The value and what you will contribute is not whether you are appointed or not appointed,” he said.
Bwala also said contrary to the assertions by critics, he informed Atiku when he was going to meet with the President and when he returned from Aso Rock presidential villa.
He also dismissed the claim that his meeting with Atiku amounted to a betrayal of the PDP presidential candidate.
“It’s absolute nonsense for somebody to say because I said I will support President Bola Tinubu therefore I betrayed Atiku,” the lawyer said matter-of-factly on the programme.
Bwala had dumped APC in protest over the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Daniel Bwala, was at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday where he met with President Bola Tinubu and pledged his total support for him.
He said he was invited to the villa by the President.
“I honoured the invitation of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is a father to the nation, who God has allowed to lead the country at this difficult time, so I came to celebrate and congratulate him.
“I also gave him my commitment that as citizens of this country, this is the time for us to throw our weight behind and support the administration,” Bwala said.
Bwala said recent policy decisions demonstrated that the President is about the people and not just protecting his team.
He commended him for taking decisions “against certain ministers who allegedly were said to have committed infraction.”