BWALA DEFENDS AL JAZEERA INTERVIEW, DISMISSES BACKLASH FROM CRITICS
Read Time:3 Minute, 51 Second
By ‘Sefiu Ajape
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has dismissed the criticism that followed his appearance on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head programme.
Bwala said he had no regrets defending the Tinubu administration during the interview with host Mehdi Hassan and would do so again anywhere in the world.
The interview, which aired on Thursday, quickly triggered backlash on social media, particularly on X, where clips from the exchange went viral and critics described Bwala’s outing as embarrassing.
During the programme, Hassan repeatedly confronted Bwala with past statements in which he had described President Tinubu as a drug baron, corrupt, and unfit to lead — remarks he made before defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in 2023.
When Bwala denied making some of the statements, Hassan produced video evidence, prompting further ridicule online.
Hassan also questioned him on Nigeria’s worsening security situation, referencing reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Critics said Bwala struggled to counter the figures presented with data of his own.
Reacting in a statement on Saturday, Bwala said the backlash from what he described as opposition sympathisers was predictable and would not distract him from his responsibilities as Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication.
“The majority of the naysayers are members of the opposition and their sympathisers. It does not bother me one bit. Their temporary excitement over the interview has not lasted and will not last, because it does not take away their obvious problem of lack of vision and mission in conducting and managing a political party.”
He also rejected suggestions that his performance on the programme was inadequate.
“Selling ice cream, looking fine, and seeking the praises of men were never part of” his job description, he said, adding that promoting and defending the President and his administration was what he did “with ease and joy.”
Bwala explained that Head to Head had approached him nearly six months earlier for an interview aimed at challenging the government on issues such as security, the economy, and corruption, but did not indicate that his personal past would be scrutinised.
“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 accused Hassan of using what he described as “opposition research-style journalism,” alleging that some of the quotes presented during the interview were inaccurate while others were “outright fake news”, a claim he said he would address later.
On his earlier criticisms of President Tinubu before joining the administration, Bwala said such statements were typical of partisan politics.
“I am glad those were things I said when I was in the opposition saddle with such zeal. It is all politics.
“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 also criticised the opposition, saying they lacked credible alternatives.
“They have no path to victory and no alternative policies or programme for the Nigerian people.
“And if they say they do, they can as well go to Head to Head and be interrogated on that.”
He added that he was ready to face any interviewer to defend the administration’s record.
“I have never, and will never, subscribe to ducking or dodging interviews on matters that concern promoting and defending the administration I was appointed to serve,” he said. “It is the least of what is required of me.”
Bwala said he would welcome a second appearance on the programme, noting that questions about his past would eventually fade from public attention.
“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.
Despite his criticism of how the interview was conducted, Bwala described Hassan as “arguably the best debater on the planet” and said he still admired and respected him.
He also expressed appreciation to “the many Nigerians and non-Nigerians” who praised what he called his brave defence of the government during an interview where, he said, the anchor “would hardly let you answer a question unless it suited his narrative.”
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