Peter Obi’s Knowledge Of Governance, Economics Very Shallow —Presidency
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has sharply criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking a deep understanding of economic policy and governance.
Bwala made the remarks in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, following Obi’s interview on Arise Television earlier in the day.
Reacting to Obi’s comments on key policy issues—particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of Nigeria’s foreign exchange rates—Bwala said the former Anambra Governor offered no credible alternatives while conceding agreement with the Tinubu administration’s broad economic direction.
“He seems to have very shallow knowledge of economics and governance. Anybody with a rational mind knows these guys are just looking to grab power; but they don’t have any alternative agenda,” Bwala wrote.
In the interview, Obi stated that he supported the removal of fuel subsidy, a major reform undertaken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2023, but insisted he would have handled it differently.
“I have consistently maintained that I would have removed the fuel subsidy. If you go to my manifesto, it is there and the steps I would have taken in an organised manner,” Obi said.
Bwala, however, dismissed Obi’s claim, suggesting the former candidate merely danced around the issue when pressed for specifics.
“He agreed with our policy of removal of subsidy and unifications of the foreign exchange; he claimed he would have done it better than us in an ‘organized manner’. He was asked what is the ‘organized manner.’ He played with words yet to arrive at agreeing with us,” Bwala wrote.
Obi, in his interview, had emphasized that the real problem was not the removal of subsidy itself but the way the policy was executed.
The former presidential hopeful questioned the Tinubu administration’s use of the supposed savings from the subsidy removal.
“Since we were told that we removed it because we don’t want to borrow and that the funds will allow for investments in critical infrastructure—billions saved—where is it? Where is it invested in critical areas of development?” Obi asked.
Bwala’s criticism extended to the tone and nature of the interview itself, claiming that the Arise TV host, whom he referred to as “a member of his Obidient movement,” had given Obi an easy ride.
