He is even a criminal too – Bawumia boy hits Nigerian journalist after Zimbabwe deportation

Krobea Kwabena Asante, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) activist has lauched an attack on a Nigerian journalist who recently made claims about the source of funding of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia’s presidential bid.

David Hundeyin, alleged via a tweet that Bawumia’s presidential bid to be elected president in 2024 was being funded by a lobby group in Northern Nigeria, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

Hundeyin’s claim posted on Twitter was to drive home a point he was making about the extent to which lobbying and other subtle strategies can go to affect political outcomes and serve interest of lobbyists.

Barely days after his claim, the journalist was detained in Zimbabwe and removed to a third country citing personal security concerns.

Reacting to that development, Krobea Asante posted a screenshot about the Zimbabwe incident and captioned it: “He is even a criminal too,” referencing the screenshot in which a Zimbabwean official was explaining why Huneyin was detained and removed.

The journalist has confirmed holding a Ghanaian refugee passport having sought and received asylum in Ghana. He travelled to Zimbabwe with the particular passport.

Linking Bawumia to northern Nigerian lobby

Hundeyin cited the case of UK government backing groups in Nigeria’s north to buttress his point stating in one of his tweets: “Have you ever wondered how the UK government always seems to be aligned politically with the northern establishment? Yes there is historical context, Harold Wilson, bla bla bla but what else is the reason?

“It’s because of several organisations like the Arewa Consultative Forum,” his tweet read.

The part on Bawumia and the ACF was by way of an example to back up his earlier tweet, it read: “These think tanks and lobby groups spend *millions* of dollars annually on local and foreign political astroturfing on a scale you cannot begin to comprehend.

“For example, the ACF is funding a Muslim candidate (Mahamudu Bawumia) in Ghana’s 2024 election. You already know why.”

Meanwhile, the Bawumia campaign office has dismissed the claim by the journalist stressing that the source of funding for Bawumia’s campaign will be disclosed in due course.