From Critic To Ally? Daniel Bwala Reveals What He Feared About Tinubu

Speaking during an interview on Symfoni TV on Saturday, Bwala said he was surprised by Tinubu’s approach to leadership after the 2023 election.

According to him, he had expected the president to go after critics who opposed him before he assumed office, especially considering his own vocal attacks during the campaign period.

Bwala said, “I feared Tinubu would hunt me down. Leadership sometimes comes with certain realities, and I must be honest about that.

“Looking at President Bola Tinubu’s political journey, and considering how many people criticised him, including myself when I was in the opposition, I genuinely thought that once he became president, he would come after me politically.”

He explained that the fear pushed him to consider leaving Nigeria temporarily to focus on his academic career.

“That was when I decided to pursue my PhD and just step away from everything in Nigeria. But instead of targeting me, he invited me to join the government and contribute to the administration,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bwala also recently disclosed that President Tinubu made attempts to reconnect with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar shortly after the 2023 presidential election.

According to him, the president sent emissaries to Atiku after taking office as part of efforts to establish communication despite the political tension surrounding the election.

Bwala said he was aware of the development because he was still closely associated with Atiku at the time. He claimed the emissaries reportedly visited Atiku’s residence but were denied access after instructions were allegedly given not to open the gate for them.

He added that the incident demonstrated that Tinubu had already made efforts to build bridges after assuming office.