Former senate chip whip and current senator representing southern Borno senatorial district, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has described Mr. Daniel Bwala, a former critic of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a political liability to President Bola Tinubu.
Bwala was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but left the party and aligned with President Tinubu.
He had accused Ndume on different occasions after he (Ndume) granted an interview with Arise TV where he expressed concern over the increasing hunger and insecurity in the country under the present administration.
The interview did not go down well with the APC National Working Committee and the senate caucus which led to Ndume’s removal as chief whip and vice chairman of the senate appropriation committee.
Bwala had on his X handle last Friday said Ndume was planning to mobilise youths in his local government area to attack him. Hawul is a part of Ndume’s constituency.
But speaking with journalists in Maiduguri yesterday, Ndume said it was unfortunate that Bwala claimed to be a native of Hawul but could not even trace his actual roots.
He said even in the Arise TV interview he did not accuse or insult President Tinubu, but only criticised some policies of his administration which are counter-productive.
He said: “Ordinarily, I did not want to join issues or wouldn’t have replied Mr. Bwala who claimed to be from Hawul local government area which is part of my constituency.
“I can describe Daniel Bwala as a failed lawyer and an empty drum making noise in Abuja. As I said, I did not want to respond, but because Bwala talked about threats or that I am mobilising youths to attack him, which has security implications and is very sensitive. I believe Bwala’s strategy is how to get the attention and sympathy of Mr. President to give him police cover and maybe a job.
“We have credible people in Hawul local government area, and they know who Daniel Bwala is, in fact, when I saw his message on the X handle, I thought it was Inuwa Bwala who was the caretaker chairman of Hawul and a renowned journalist. I quickly drew his attention to it, and he said he was not the one.
“Later, I was made to understand that it is Daniel Bwala who has no political relevance as far as southern Borno is concerned. In fact, I replied his post and said, if accusing and abusing me on X or pages of newspaper would fetch him something from Tinubu to survive after being a failed lawyer in Abuja, I would be happy for him.
“We have three former deputy governors from Hawul, and all of them are my ardent supporters and people I take in high esteem. Bwala wants to portray the peace-loving youths as violent people. You can’t instigate Hawul people to go into political violence, because it is not in their character. All I can say is that Bwala is trying to get sympathy from Mr. President.
“The only advice I can give Tinubu is that, politically, Daniel Bwala is a … who barks and bites even the owner, and so, Tinubu should be careful with the likes of Bwala.
“Bwala was once a member of the APC, but later ran away and joined former vice president Atiku Abubakar, where he started accusing Tinubu with all sorts of abusive and insulting words on live television. Bwala can only be useful in attacking people, but the 2027 general elections is coming, all I can advise is for him to come to Borno and trace his roots.