Peter Obi responds to Daniel Bwala “419” allegation
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has responded to claims made by presidential aide Daniel Bwala, who accused Obi of engaging in “419”-style financial misconduct during his tenure as governor of Anambra State. The allegation stemmed from Bwala’s claim that Obi saved state funds in a bank he chaired in order to personally benefit from accrued interest.
Obi, speaking on a podcast, stated that he ordinarily does not answer “these types of characters”. He noted that when he left office he had not left any unpaid salaries, gratuities, pensions, or supplier debts. Obi added that Bwala has never visited Anambra State and suggested that the assertions were driven by motivations other than truth.
The allegation from Bwala alleged that Obi, as governor, saved the state’s money in a bank where he served as chairman, and that when liabilities were subtracted from the so-called savings, there was “nothing on ground”. Bwala labelled this as “pure 419”.
In his response, Obi reiterated his decision to ignore such attacks, stating: “The man has never been to Anambra state. I don’t answer these types of characters. I just leave them because that is what they used to feed.”
This exchange highlights the escalating tensions in Nigerian political discourse, where accusations of financial impropriety are met with dismissals and refusal to engage. Observers may interpret Obi’s stance as an attempt to rise above partisan criticism, or as a strategy to avoid further fuel to attacks.
