Politics
Peter Obi’s followers are the tigers of social media, some of them live abroad where data is free, says Presidency
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has described supporters of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, popularly known as Obidients, as the “tigers” of social media.
Bwala made the remark during an interview on News Central Television on Monday while discussing the growing influence of social media on political discourse and citizen engagement.
According to him, social media has transformed how Nigerians interact with public officials, providing citizens with direct platforms to criticise and scrutinise leaders.
“If you want to know for the records, the tigers of social media are Peter Obi’s followers. Everybody knows. Some of them live abroad, where data is free. Some are in Nigeria, and many of them are in the tech space. They have done a lot of manipulation,” Bwala said.
He, however, noted that supporters of other political parties also engage actively online, stressing that his comments were not meant to single out only one political group.
“That is not to say there are no people like that in other political parties. I would be the last person to say that. But if you are talking of tigers, then it’s the Obidients,” he added.
Responding to allegations that government supporters are paid to defend the administration online, Bwala dismissed the claim, insisting that he does not sponsor or pay anyone to promote government positions on social media.
“I don’t pay anybody for anything. If I was the paying type, with all the agenda that was cooked against me during the Mehdi Hasan interview, I would have sold my family land just to be defending myself online,” he said.
The presidential aide’s comments have since sparked reactions across social media, where political supporters continue to debate the role and influence of online activism in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
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