June 12 1993: You were trading in Malaysia, not fighting for Democracy – Presidency slams Peter Obi

June 12 1993: You were trading in Malaysia, not fighting for Democracy – Presidency slams Peter Obi

Presidential spokesperson and Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi over his recent comments on the state of democracy under President Bola Tinubu.

Obi, in a Democracy Day message, had urged President Tinubu to follow the example of former Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan. He praised Yar’Adua for acknowledging flaws in the electoral process that brought him to power and hailed Jonathan for preserving Nigeria’s democracy by conceding defeat in 2015.

Obi further asserted that Nigeria is currently not experiencing true democracy under Tinubu’s leadership, reiterating his long-held view that the 2023 presidential election was fraught with irregularities.

Responding in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday evening, Bwala dismissed Obi’s position, questioning his credibility on matters of democratic struggle.

He claimed that Obi played no role in the pro-democracy movement that followed the annulled June 12, 1993 election, alleging that the former Anambra governor was “in Asia buying and selling” during that period.

According to Bwala, Obi lacks the moral standing to comment on the legacy of June 12 or the broader fight for democracy in Nigeria.

He wrote, “Please can someone confirm to me whether it is true that on June 12, 1993 and weeks after that @PeterObi Peter Gregory Obi was in Malaysia or somewhere in Asia doing buying and selling trading business?

“I searched the internet to see any of his involvement in the struggle for democracy, I couldn’t see any link ohh.”