Dare Babalola
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, on Saturday reacted to the criticism that trailed his appearance on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head programme.
In a statement he signed personally and shared on his social media pages, the former critic of President Tinubu said he had no regrets defending the Tinubu administration before host Mehdi Hassan and would do so again anywhere in the world.
The interview, which aired on Thursday on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head, sparked an immediate backlash on social media, particularly on X, where clips went viral, and critics described Bwala’s outing as an embarrassment.
Hassan repeatedly confronted Bwala with his own past statements in which he had called President Tinubu a drug baron, corrupt, and unfit to lead, remarks Bwala made before his 2023 defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
When Bwala denied making some of the statements, Hassan produced video evidence, triggering fresh ridicule online.
Netizens have since reacted to the interview with torrents of them faulting Bwala for “flopping”.
However, the presidential aide has hit back at his critics saying, “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.
“Some of the fiercest critics of my interview cannot even stand local TV anchors. 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.”
Bwala said Head to Head approached him nearly six months ago, requesting an interview to challenge the government on security, the economy, and corruption, but never indicated it intended to probe his personal past.
“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 deploying what he called “opposition research-style journalism,” alleging that some of the quotes read out during the interview were inaccurate while others were “outright fake news”, a claim he said he would address at a later date.
On his previous criticisms of President Tinubu before joining the administration, Bwala was unapologetic, noting that such was the nature 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.”
He said he looked forward to a second round on the programme, adding that questions about his past would by then no longer be newsworthy, allowing the conversation to focus on the administration’s policy record and achievements.
“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.
