A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Solomon Bob, has lambasted President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, describing him as “an insignificant and attention-seeking operator punching above his weight.”
Bob was reacting to comments made by Bwala during a television programme on Friday, where he claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had been “adequately compensated,” and implied that Wike was not allowing Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to govern.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Port Harcourt, Bob said Bwala’s remarks were “cheeky, unwarranted, and stemmed from premeditated bile.”
“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,” Bob said.
He added that Bwala appeared to view public office as a “gravy train ride,” stressing that governance was about service delivery, not personal reward.
Bob also dismissed Bwala’s attempt to downplay Wike’s performance in the FCT by attributing it to his exit from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
“Exiting the TSA itself was the Minister’s ingenious idea. The President’s acceptance of it underlines his confidence in the Minister’s ability to deliver, rooted in his strong record as Rivers governor,” he said.
The lawmaker further accused Bwala of poor judgment for implying that Wike was obstructing Governor Fubara.
“The manner of his comment is classic implication framing from a confused individual who dabbles in everything, including those beyond his competence and job description,” Bob said.
According to him, Bwala denigrates his office by infusing his personal sentiments and biases into public commentary and passing them off as the President’s views.
“He wasn’t speaking for the President because the President knows who bears responsibility for the situation in Rivers. Mr. Bwala doesn’t really speak for the President. That’s not his remit, and he is way down the pecking order of presidential spokesmen,” he added.
Bob, who chairs the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, suggested that Bwala might still be bitter over the defeat of Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.
“Minister Wike got Atiku Abubakar on toast. Atiku was his boss until he jumped ship. Obviously, he is still overcome with a sense of what might have been,” Bob said.
He concluded by advising Bwala to “know his level,” remain humble and be grateful for his appointment, adding that he had not convinced many Nigerians that he possessed the capacity to function effectively in his current role.
