The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has defended his previous criticisms of the president, describing them as part of his political stance when he was in the opposition, and said they are now all in the past.
Bwala’s clarification comes after his appearance on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head programme, where he was interviewed by journalist Mehdi Hassan.
During the interview, Hassan pressed Bwala on his previous remarks in which he had described President Tinubu as a drug baron, corrupt, and unfit to lead, comments he made before joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, having previously been a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The special adviser, in a statement issued on Saturday, described these remarks as “past,” noting that they were made when he was in the opposition and expressed with zeal.
“As for what I said about President Tinubu in the past, I am glad those were things I said when I was in the opposition saddle with such zeal. It is all politics,” he said.
He cited examples like former U.S. President Donald Trump’s cabinet to emphasize that previous criticisms of a leader do not affect one’s current loyalty or service.
“Half of Donald Trump’s cabinet is made up of people who once spoke against him, and quite a number of people in our own cabinet also spoke against President Tinubu in the past. Those things do not bother him, if you care to know,” Bwala said.
“Head to Head contacted me requesting an interview, stating that they wanted to challenge our government on security, the economy, and corruption. Nowhere in our almost six months of communication did they mention that they were going to challenge my past. If that had been their plan, ethically and professionally, they were supposed to inform me so I could prepare my response. But that’s okay, ethically, that is on them, not on me,” he added.
Bwala dismissed criticisms from Nigerians who questioned his past stance, describing them as opposition sympathisers who would not distract him from his duties.
“When I signed on to the privileged job granted to me by Mr. President, I was well aware of its implications. Selling ice cream, looking fine, and seeking the praises of men were never part of it. But the task of promoting and defending the President and his administration is what I do with ease and joy. I am prepared to appear before any interviewer, anywhere in the world, any day and at any time, to defend this government and its policies,” he said.
He also accused Hassan of engaging in what he described as “opposition research-style journalism,” alleging that some of the quotes cited during the interview were inaccurate, while others were “outright fake news,” a claim he said he would respond to at a later date.
While criticizing the way the interview was conducted, Bwala maintained his respect for Hassan, calling him “arguably the best debater on the planet.”
“I still have admiration and respect for Mehdi Hassan as arguably the best debater on the planet. I look forward to part two of the Head to Head interview, and I am glad that by then questions about my past will no longer be news, so that we can focus on our administration’s policies, programs, and what we have achieved so far,” he said.
