Clergy who backed Obi have lost enthusiasm for him, says Bwala

Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has made a startling claim that the electoral success of Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election was significantly swayed by religious sentiment, an assertion he made during his appearance on Politics Today on Thursday.

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Bwala also alleged that a substantial number of Obi's supporters on social media, commonly referred to as "Obidients," are actually automated bot accounts rather than real individuals, a claim he made while responding to criticism over the Federal Government's repeated responses to comments made by the former Anambra State governor.

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The presidential aide pointed out that when the government chooses to remain silent, Obi and his supporters dominate the conversation, but when the government responds, it is accused of reacting to them, as he stated, "When we keep quiet, Peter Obi and his Obidients, from morning till the next morning, are talking about Asiwaju government… When we respond to them, you say we are reacting to them."

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Bwala questioned the authenticity of Obi's online support base, suggesting that many of his followers are not human, but rather bot accounts, and that the actual number of human supporters is relatively small, as he noted, "Peter Obi has a followership that they call the Obidients, that are largely, they consist of people that are not human beings, we call bot account."

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According to Bwala, Obi's performance in the 2023 election was greatly influenced by religion, which was used to mobilize support for the Labour Party candidate, and he warned that the "toxicity" of this approach will have long-lasting effects on the country, as he stated, "At that time, he used religious rhetoric."

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The presidential aide argued that the ruling All Progressives Congress's decision to present a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket created an opportunity for religious mobilization, which Obi capitalized on, and that several religious leaders who supported Obi during the election have since distanced themselves from him.

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Bwala claimed that these religious leaders have lost interest in Obi because the initial reason for their support - the Muslim-Muslim ticket - is no longer a factor, as he said, "The same religious leaders that followed him at that time, right now, they don’t feel his energy anymore."

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The presidential spokesman also criticized Obi's leadership style, suggesting that he is unable to maintain long-term relationships with his associates, as evidenced by the fact that none of his former commissioners, aides, or administrative assistants still support him, and that this is due to his lack of "man-management skills."

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Bwala cited examples of individuals who have worked with Obi in the past, such as Valentine Ozigbo and Kennedy Okonkwo, but are no longer associated with him, and predicted that even his current supporter, Aisha, will eventually leave him, as he stated, "When Peter Obi governed as governor in Anambra till today, have you seen any of his former commissioners, aides, or administrative assistants that are still with him?"