Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has mocked Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, describing him as a “character-in-chief”.

Speaking in an interview on The Clarity Zone Podcast anchored by Chinedu Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu, Bwala said Obi was engaging in theatrics.

He was responding to a claim that the former governor of Anambra described him as a ‘character’.

“In the movie, the actor is a character. He is actually the character-in-chief, because what he’s playing is what we call theatrics,” Bwala said.

“You are demonstrating a fictitious picture of a reality that will never exist. I think that is the hope he sold to his people.

“So, after the election, when they saw reality dawn, and he lost the election, they couldn’t manage the picture of the fantasy that was painted in their mind, and they ran berserk.”

“They are all over the media now… they don’t have a particular platform where they stay. They migrate and abuse people. And that is because leadership is not easy.

“Leadership is a sacrifice. All these politicians you see, from President Bola Tinubu, and some other politicians who are not up to him, do a lot of sacrifice to build a base; a base that can resonate with them.”

Bwala also responded to Obi’s claim that he has never been to Anambra, saying he could even describe the road leading to the former LP presidential candidate’s house in the state.

The presidential aide further joked that he knew where the mentally unstable man, whom Obi said gave him advice while he was governor of the state, stayed.

Bwala’s remarks followed a statement Obi made in the build-up to the 2023 elections, in which he recounted how a piece of advice from a mentally unstable man helped him resolve a major security challenge during his tenure as governor of Anambra.

“And he also said, I have never been to Anambra; I can tell you the road that leads to his house. Peter Obi is from Agulu,” he said.

“From Nnewi, you have Umudim, Nnewichi, Uruagu, and Otolo. I can take you to places in the east. I even know the junction where the madman that used to advise him used to stay, very close to Upper Iweka.

“How can he say I have never been to Anambra?”

The Rivers House of Assembly says the impeachment process against Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, and Ngozi Odu, his deputy, is on course.

On Thursday, the state parliament commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy.

The lawmakers launched the process after Major Jack, Leader of the assembly, read gross misconduct charges against Fubara, signed by 26 members of the house.

On Friday, reports claimed that the Rivers State House of Assembly had suspended the impeachment process against the governor.

Responding to the reports in a statement, Enemi George, chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions, and Complaints, said notices of gross misconduct have been forwarded to Fubara and Odu, noting that lawmakers are awaiting their responses.

George maintained that the process has not been suspended or discontinued, describing the reports as false narratives aimed at misleading the public and causing disaffection.

“We are aware that certain persons and media platforms are at it again to misinform the public, particularly to the effect that the process has been halted or discontinued,” the statement reads.

“Some are trending false narratives to cause disaffection between the House and well-meaning Nigerians. Therefore, with the leave of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule DSSRS.

“I call on all and sundry to disregard their antics, as their actions have already failed. We remain committed to our constitutional duties and will not be dissuaded by cheap blackmail or threats from those who do not have our country’s nascent democracy at heart.

George asked the public to disregard what he described as antics, saying the house would not be deterred by “cheap blackmail or threats” and remains committed to its constitutional duties.

Governor Dapo Abiodun is confronted with a defining moment that goes beyond politics and speaks directly to leadership, conscience, and respect for the will of the people. Ogun State has reached a point where it must decide whether its revered traditional institutions will reflect progress, intellect, and popular consensus or be reduced to instruments of political convenience.

Delta State recently demonstrated what is possible when courage and foresight guide decision-making. The emergence of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, a young, cerebral, and globally exposed monarch, sent a strong message across the country. It showed that tradition and modern leadership can coexist when the right choice is made.

Ogun State itself has a powerful precedent.

The late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, ascended the throne at a relatively young age. His reign became one of the most impactful in Yoruba history because he brought intellect, courage, independence, and a deep commitment to his people. His age at ascension did not weaken the throne. It strengthened it.

Today, Ogun State faces a similar moment of reckoning.

There are growing concerns and feelers from within the public space that political elements are attempting to influence the process by pushing a particular aspirant, a certain Kuye, largely on the basis of political connections rather than popular acceptance or merit. Even more troubling are reports that this individual has been telling people openly that Governor Dapo Abiodun has already chosen him.

Such claims, whether true or not, are dangerous.

They undermine the sanctity of the traditional institution and create the impression that the process has been compromised. Kingship should never be portrayed as a political reward or an appointment determined by proximity to power. When such narratives are allowed to spread without correction, public trust suffers, and the institution itself is diminished.

Governor Dapo Abiodun understands the danger of imposition better than most. His own political journey is evidence of that. When political forces attempted to block his aspiration to govern Ogun State, he refused to step aside. He trusted the people, stood his ground, and was ultimately vindicated.

That same respect for popular will is required now.

Traditional leadership derives its legitimacy from the people and from history, not from whispered endorsements or political calculations. Ogun State must resist any attempt to turn a sacred stool into a bargaining chip. The state deserves a monarch who represents the aspirations of its people, someone intellectually grounded, culturally rooted, and capable of engaging the realities of the modern world.

This is not a call to discard tradition. It is a call to protect it from political interference.

Delta State has shown what is possible. Ogun State has done it before. Governor Dapo Abiodun has lived through the consequences of resisting imposition.

The choice before Ogun State is clear. Will it submit tradition to politics, or will it rise to the occasion and choose credibility, courage, and lasting greatness?

The eyes of history remain fixed on this moment.