Lawmaker berates Daniel Bwala over comments on Wike, Rivers politics

A member of the House of Representatives, Solomon Bob (PDP, Rivers), has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, for allegedly distorting facts while making comments on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and the raging political crisis in Rivers State.

Mr Bwala, during a television interview on Friday, claimed that Mr Wike had been “adequately compensated” and suggested that the minister was preventing Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara from governing.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Port Harcourt, Mr Bob described the comments as “cheeky, unwarranted, and stemmed from premeditated bile,” arguing that Mr Bwala avoided the substance of the question put to him and instead advanced a narrative aimed at undermining the minister.

“You could see that he deliberately pivoted from the question to talk about the minister having been adequately compensated, whatever that means.

“He doesn’t understand the minister’s contribution to this administration. Clearly, he operates on the fringes. And sadly, he leaves the impression that he sees public office as a gravy train ride,” he said.

“Public office is about service delivery, not adequate compensation,” Mr Bob said, adding that the comments betrayed ignorance of Mr Wike’s contributions to the current administration.

Mr Bob also faulted Mr Bwala’s attempt to downplay the FCT minister’s performance by attributing it largely to the decision to exit the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

He argued that the move was initiated by the minister himself and approved by the president based on confidence in his capacity to deliver, a confidence he said was earned through Mr Wike’s record as governor of Rivers State.

“That confidence is rooted in his strong record as Rivers governor, for which even President Buhari honoured him and Buhari was never enamoured of Wike,” Mr Bob said.

The lawmaker further criticised Mr Bwala for implying that the FCT minister was interfering with Mr Fubara’s administration, describing the claim as irresponsible and outside the adviser’s remit.

Mr Fubara’s government has been grappling with a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, marked by a rift between the executive and the House of Assembly, factional disputes among lawmakers and legal battles that have disrupted governance and legislative business in the state.

Mr Bob accused the presidential aide of projecting personal opinions as the position of President Tinubu, insisting that Mr Bwala does not speak for the president on the Rivers political situation.

“Mr Bwala denigrates his office by infusing his public comments with his own sentiments and biases and passing them off as the president’s. But he wasn’t speaking for the president because the president knows who bears responsibility for the situation in Rivers,” he said.

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Mr Bob, who chairs the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions and represents Abua/Odual and Ahoada East Federal Constituency, also suggested that Mr Bwala’s comments may be influenced by lingering political grievances from the 2023 general election.

He alleged that the adviser had yet to come to terms with the defeat of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whom he previously served, and advised him to exercise restraint in his public engagements.

Mr Bob urged Mr Bwala to act with humility and professionalism, warning that public commentary from the Presidency should be guided by responsibility rather than personal sentiment.