“Reasons VDM Is More Useful Than Peter Obi”: Tinubu’s Aide Fires Shots at Ex-Gov in New Interview
- President Tinubu’s aide, Daniel Bwala, compared social media critic VeryDarkMan to LP presidential candidate Peter Obi
- Bwala accused Obi of politicising tragedy and shifting goalposts in his criticism of the presidency
- The presidential aide also insisted that Tinubu doesn't have to be physically present to demonstrate leadership
President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has ignited a fresh political storm with his controversial takedown of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Appearing on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Bwala mocked Obi over his comments criticising President Tinubu for failing to visit Yelewata in Benue state, where scores were recently killed in an attack.
In a rebuke, Bwala said popular social commentator, Martins Otse (aka VeryDarkMan), showed more empathy and courage than Obi by visiting the grieving community, despite having no political office or ambition.
Source: Instagram
Bwala said:
“VeryDarkMan has more empathy than Peter Obi. He’s not a politician, but he went to Benue. Why does Obi have to wait until he becomes president before he goes to Benue? Empathy is personal.”
The presidential aide didn’t stop there. He slammed Obi and other opposition figures for what he described as “rhetoric without substance”, accusing them of manipulating every tragedy for political gain.
He stated:
“The shifting of goalposts is one of the elements you’ll find in these internally displaced politicians. If the president didn’t go to Benue, they’ll say he didn’t go. If he goes, they’ll say he should’ve gone to Yelewata. What exactly do they want?”
Bwala argued that critics like Obi lack understanding of governance, emphasizing that Tinubu does not need to personally visit every crisis zone to show leadership.
Bwala added:
“If Peter Obi understands Section 5 of the Constitution, he’ll know the President exercises power through the Vice President, ministers, security chiefs, and agency heads."
See the video here:
Backlash and reactions trail Bwala's comments
As expected, Bwala’s comments stirred hot reactions online, with supporters of both Obi and VeryDarkMan weighing in.
@NaijaTrendsLive said:
“Imagine comparing a TikToker to a former governor. Nigeria has become a circus.”
@ObiDattiSolidarity wrote:
“VeryDarkMan has empathy? He’s chasing clout while Obi has been donating quietly.”
@RealPoliticsNaija added:
“Bwala dey talk truth sha. This selective outrage by the opposition is getting stale.”
@IamChukaOfficial said:
“VeryDarkMan is trending now, but comparing him to Obi? That’s pure disrespect.”
@Naija_PoliticalGist wrote:
“Bwala really called Obi an ‘internally displaced politician’? Na wah! Politics don turn comedy.”
Source: Instagram
VDM predicts failure of Obi, Atiku's coalition
Legit.ng earlier reported that VDM threw a heavy punch at Nigeria’s new opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the alliance featuring Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and other opposition figures was headed for a “woeful failure.”
In a video posted on his social media platform on Friday, July 4, 2025, VDM didn’t mince words, saying Nigerians should not be deceived by the recent coalition hype, because history is about to repeat itself.
Read also
IPOB: Peter Obi reacts to Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention, “It does not make sense to me”
According to him, two major factors will destroy the coalition’s dreams of unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
