•Senator Ali Ndume
Mohammed Ali Ndume, senator representing Southern Borno has alleged that Mr Daniel Bwala, a former critic of the All Progressives Congress, APC can only be a political liability to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Recall that Mr. Bwala, a lawyer turned politician was a member of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, but unceremoniously left the party and pitched a tent with President Tinubu, reports Saturday Vanguard.
Bwala had accused the Senator on different fora after he (Ndume) granted an interview with Arise TV, in which the lawmaker expressed worry over the increasing hunger and insecurity that characterised the present administration.
The interview did not go down well with the APC National Working Committee and the Senate Caucus which led to the removal of Ndume as Chief Whip and Vice Chairman Appropriation.
Bwala had tweeted on his X handle last Friday alleging that Ndume was planning to mobilize Youths in his local government, Hawul to attack him. Hawul is one of the constituencies of Senator Ndume.
But reacting to some Journalists at his Maiduguri residence at the weekend, Senator Ndume said, it is unfortunate that Bwala claims to be an indigene of Hawul, but cannot even trace his actual roots, not to talk of the people in Hawul.
He also said, even in the interview he granted on Arise TV, he did not accuse or insult President Tinubu, but only criticised some policies of the present administration which are counterproductive to average Nigerians.
His words: “Ordinarily, I do not want to join the issue or wouldn’t have replied Mr Bwala who claimed to be from Hawul Local Government Area which is part of my constituency.
“I can describe Daniel Bwala as a failed lawyer and empty drum making noise in Abuja. As I said, I did not want to respond, but because Bwala talked about threats or I am mobilising youths to attack him, which has security implications and is very sensitive. I believe Bwala’s strategy is how to get the attention and sympathy of Mr President to give him police cover and maybe a job.
“We have credible people in the Hawul Local Government Area, and they know who Daniel Bwala is, in fact when I saw his message on X handle, I thought it was Inuwa Bwala who was the former Caretaker Chairman of Hawul and a renowned journalist. I quickly drew his attention to it, which he said, he was not the one.
“Later, I was made to understand that it is Daniel Bwala who has no political relevance as far as Southern Borno is concerned. I replied to his post and said, if accusing and abusing me on Twitter or pages of newspapers would fetch him something from Tinubu to survive after being a failed lawyer in Abuja, I would be happy for him.
“We have three former deputy governors from Hawul, and all of them are my ardent supporters and people I took in high esteem throughout my political surgeon. Bwala wants to portray the peace-loving youths as violent people. You can’t instigate Hawul people to go into political violence, because is not in their character. All I can say is that Bwala is trying to get sympathy from Mr. President.
“The only advice I can give President Tinubu is that, politically Daniel Bwala is just a Mad Dog who barks and bites even the owner, and so, Tinubu should be careful with the likes of Bwala as a Mad Dog.
“Bwala was once a member of the APC, but later ran away shamelessly and joined former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, where he started accusing Tinubu with all sorts of abusive and insulting words on Live Televisions. Bwala can only be useful in attacking people, but the 2027 general elections are coming, all I can advise is for Bwala to come to Borno and trace his roots.
Ndume concluded with a quote that ‘If you are sorry for Mad Dog, it will turn round and bite you’ (Peter Tosh).
