Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has firmly rejected claims that he attempted to recruit Daniel Bwala, now a Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, into his 2023 presidential campaign.

Bwala had alleged in a media interview that Obi, through former President Olusegun Obasanjo, sought his involvement in the Labour Party campaign during a meeting in London. He claimed the approach was made while Obasanjo met with Obi’s running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, and other political figures at a Hilton Hotel, but said he declined despite his respect for the former president.

Obi, however, dismissed the account as fiction. In a statement issued by his media aide, Ibrahim Umar, the former Anambra State governor said he had never engaged Bwala for any political role and would not do so, insisting that his politics is driven by principle rather than personal deals.

The statement described Bwala’s assertions as baseless and rooted in what it called a pattern of opportunistic behaviour. It stressed that Obi deliberately distances himself from what he terms “transactional politics” and from individuals he believes are sustained in public life by such practices.

According to the statement, Obi prefers to channel resources into social impact, such as improving education and public welfare, rather than paying political operatives to promote his image or attack opponents. It added that his political project is anchored on good governance, accountability and a shared national vision, not on inducements or backroom arrangements.

Obi’s camp urged Nigerians to disregard Bwala’s narrative, framing it as part of a broader attempt to drag the former Labour Party candidate into ongoing partisan skirmishes following the contentious 2023 general election. The statement also called on Bwala and similar actors to “repent” from what it described as greed and to embrace a collective effort toward building a better Nigeria.

Bwala, a lawyer and prominent political commentator, has in recent years shifted alignments across major parties, becoming a visible defender of the current administration. His latest claims have further intensified the war of words between figures close to the presidency and opposition politicians still contesting the legacy and conduct of the last election cycle.