The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has taken a swipe at Peter Obi’s political influence, alleging that a significant portion of the "Obidient" movement on social media consists of bot accounts which are manipulated, non-human accounts.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday, May 7, Bwala asserted that the actual human supporters of the 2023 Labour Party candidate are "not very many". Bwala made these remarks while addressing accusations that the Presidency is "obsessed" with Obi because he pulled 6.1 million votes in the 2023 election.
Bwala said: "When we keep quiet, Peter Obi and his Obidients, from morning till the next morning are talking about Asiwaju government and the rest. When we respond to them, you say we are reacting to them. Let me ask you this question. Peter Obi has a followership called the Obidients that are largely consisted of people that are not human beings. We call them bot accounts. If you are very familiar with social media and the manipulation of algorithm, you will see that. The real Obidients that are human beings, when you see them on the streets, they are not very many."
The comment has sparked reactions online, with supporters of Obi dismissing Bwala's claims as an attempt to downplay the former Anambra governor's grassroots appeal.
