A member of the House of Representatives, Solomon Bob, has lambasted President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Mr. Daniel Bwala, describing him as “an insignificant and attention-seeking operator punching above his weight.”
The lawmaker also accused Bwala of what he termed “malicious narrative distortion.”
Bob was reacting to comments allegedly made by Bwala on a television programme on Friday, where he claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, had been “adequately compensated,” while also implying that the minister was interfering with the ability of the Rivers State Governor to govern.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Hon. Bob said Bwala’s comments 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 clearly does not understand the Minister’s contribution to this administration,” Bob said.
He added:
“Clearly, he operates on the fringes, and sadly leaves the impression that he sees public office as a gravy train. Public office is about service delivery, not ‘adequate compensation.’”
The lawmaker further criticised Bwala for allegedly downplaying what he described as Wike’s widely acknowledged performance in the FCT, attributing it merely to the minister’s exit from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
“Firstly, exiting the TSA was the Minister’s own ingenious idea. Secondly, the President’s approval underlines his confidence in the Minister’s ability to deliver. That confidence is rooted in his strong record as Rivers State governor, for which even former President Muhammadu Buhari honoured him—despite not being enamoured of Wike,” he said.
Bob also faulted Bwala for implying that Wike was obstructing Governor Siminalayi Fubara from governing Rivers State.
“Mr. Bwala betrayed a profound lack of judgment by suggesting that the Minister is impeding the Governor. The manner of his comment reflects implication-based framing from a confused individual who dabbles into issues beyond his competence and job description,” the statement continued.
According to the lawmaker, Bwala “denigrates his office by injecting personal sentiments and biases into public commentary and passing them off as the President’s position.”
“He was not speaking for the President. The President knows who bears responsibility for the situation in Rivers State. Mr. Bwala does not speak for the President—that is not his remit. He is far down the pecking order of presidential spokespersons,” Bob said.
Hon. Bob, who chairs the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions and represents Abua/Odual and Ahoada East Federal Constituency of Rivers State, further suggested that Bwala’s comments may be influenced by lingering resentment over the defeat of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.
“Mr. Bwala spoke out of turn because Minister Wike politically outmanoeuvred Atiku Abubakar, who was once his principal before he defected.
He is clearly still nursing a sense of loss, despite finding his way back into a government made possible by the efforts of people like Minister Wike, while he was engaged elsewhere in self-serving rants,” he stated.
The lawmaker advised Bwala to “know his level” and exercise humility, adding that “despite his pretensions, he has not convinced many Nigerians that he possesses the capacity required for his current role.”
