“Senator Ndume Having Troubled Times, Needs Prayers” – Bwala

By Adesina Soyooye

Daniel Bwala, the just appointed Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication has said that Senator Ali Ndume needs help and prayers to overcome his troubles.

Bwala assumed office on Monday, November 18, after he was appointed by President Tinubu to replace Ajuru Ngelale who resigned from that office, according to him, over family health issues which he needed to concentrate on.

But Bwala’s appointment has drawn strong criticisms from across board based on the insults he heaped on President Tinubu when he dramatically decamped from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and was appointed the Spokesperson to the PDP Presidential campaign Committee.

The reason Bwala, particularly, cited for dumping the APC was the choice, by Tinubu, of Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate. He said it was a doomed ticket meant to destabilize Nigeria because both candidates are Muslims. Bwala rebelled against a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

As the Spokesperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign Committee, Bwala pulled no punches. In that position, he  called then Candidate Tinubu unpritable names, including a drug baron, drug dealer, certificate forger and more. And, even after Tinubu became President, Bwala gave him no breathing space. In one of his outings Bwala said the President was so clueless that even if he stays 30 years in office as President, he still would not know what to do.

It is based on those Bwala- outings that many were shocked when he suddenly began to suckle to the President, and it is why many still hardly understand the President’s magnanimity in appointing Bwala his Spokesperson.

One of those who expressed surprise but lauded the President for his forgiving heart is Senator Ndume.

Reacting to the appointment, Ndume said:

“This gesture deserves serious applause. It shows the President’s forgiving heart.”

But the Senator had a word of advice for Bwala. He asked Bwala to seek the forgiveness of the Vice President by apologizing to him. That stung.

So, on Bwala’s first day at work, he responded to Senator Ndume when he addressed the State House Press Corp. He also responded to the Senator later in the evening when he appeared on Channel Television’s ‘Politics Today’ anchored by Seun Okinbaloye.

Following is what he said on Ndume’s advice to him:

“Ordinarily I  would not have responded to this issue because when I was referred to what he (Ndume) said, I  immediately contacted the Vice President. We all cracked jokes about that.

“I have a very fantastic relationship with the Vice President which even started before the judgement of the Court was delivered regarding the matter.

“The relationship started, or rather became stronger in the build-up to the emergence of leadership of the NASS. And since then, we’ve been having a very good relationship.

“But I know that the Senator in question is having some troubled times. All I can say is that we need to pray for him, for God to guide and help but  we are focused on the work of the President. It’s not about Bwala it’s about the Predident.”

Bwala has, however, not responded to a viral video of a very angry President Tinubu’s supporter, Barrister Jesutuga  Onokpasa, who called him a serpent, and said the President, by Bwala’s  appointment has  humiliated and stabbed those who cleaned him up as Bwala painted him with tar on the back.