The senator representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Tinubu to beware of political liabilities who masquerade as political supporters.
The former Senate Whip who gave the advice on Saturday in a statement specifically urged Tinubu to be wary of Daniel Bwala, a former critic of the president and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bwala, a lawyer turned politician, was a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but left the party and started supporting Tinubu.
He had attacked Ndume on different fora after the senator granted an interview to ARISE NEWS Channel, in which the lawmaker expressed worry over the increasing hunger and insecurity in the country.
Bwala had tweeted on his X handle last Friday alleging that Ndume was planning to mobilise youths in his local government, Hawul to attack him. Hawul is part of Ndume’s constituency.
But reacting to Bwala’s allegations, Ndume said, it was unfortunate that the lawyer claimed to be an indigene of Hawul, but cannot even trace his actual roots, not to talk of the people in Hawul.
Ndume maintained that even in the interview he granted on ARISE NEWS Channel, he did not accuse or insult President Tinubu, but only criticised some policies of the present administration, which were counterproductive to average Nigerians.
He said: “Ordinarily, I do not want to join the issue or wouldn’t have replied to 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 journey.
“Bwala wants to portray the peace-loving youths as violent people. You can’t instigate Hawul people to go into political violence, because it 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 he should be careful of Bwala,” Ndume added.
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