The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Daniel Bwala, has accused the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, of using repeated claims about threats to his life as a political strategy aimed at mobilising members of the Obidient Movement.
Bwala made the allegation in a post shared on his 𝕏 account while reacting to comments made by Obi during a high-level roundtable organised by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Berlin, Germany.
During the event, the former Anambra State governor alleged that there had been an attempt on his life after he planned to visit Benue State in April 2025 for a humanitarian outreach.
Bwala Dismisses Obi's Claims
Reacting to the remarks, Bwala described Obi's allegations as desperate and accused the opposition politician of making repeated unsubstantiated claims.
"The desperation of Peter Obi is palpable. He recently travelled to Europe and was quoted to have alleged that the Governor of Benue wanted to kill him. Imagine lies from someone who said he wants to govern a country like Nigeria," Bwala wrote.
The presidential aide also referred to the recent controversy surrounding Obi's claims of intimidation at Nigerian airports, arguing that the former governor had wrongly accused airport authorities after allegedly violating airport traffic regulations.
"The other day he falsely accused airport officials of threatening his life when in fact he violated airport traffic rules," Bwala stated.
Bwala further alleged that Obi's repeated claims about threats to his life were intended to incite members of the Obidient Movement against perceived political opponents.
"Lately his newfound allegation on life may appear to be his strategy to use his Obidient movement to threaten people's lives like they have been doing to us," he added.
Obi Speaks on Alleged Threat in Benue
Speaking during the ECFR event in Berlin, Obi maintained that he believed there had been an attempt on his life after he planned to visit Benue State.
According to him, the Benue State Government advised him not to proceed with the visit, and the situation later escalated into a security incident.
"You're not aware that I wanted to go to Benue and the governor said I can't come. You're not aware that the governor said I shouldn't come, and when I went there, there was a shootout," Obi said.
He questioned why his concerns had not been taken seriously.
"What else do you need? Do you need somebody to die before you believe it? There was already a shootout when I tried to visit the place."
Airport Dispute Resurfaces
Bwala's remarks come days after another public exchange between Obi and the Federal Government over an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had released CCTV footage which he said showed a vehicle linked to Obi violating airport parking regulations, rejecting Obi's earlier suggestion that he had been intimidated by airport authorities.
However, Obi's spokesperson, Zekeri Idris, dismissed the minister's claims, insisting that the footage released did not relate to the incident Obi had described.
Idris also maintained that Obi does not enjoy the level of official security many assume and alleged that vehicles associated with the NDC presidential candidate had repeatedly received unusual scrutiny at airports.
The latest exchange further highlights the growing war of words between the Federal Government and the opposition ahead of Nigeria's next general election.