Bola Tinubu Not Bothered by My Past Criticism

Bola Tinubu Not Bothered by My Past Criticism – Daniel Bwala
Says I’m Ready for Any Interview Anywhere
Responds to Backlash Over Al Jazeera Interview

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has responded to criticism following his recent interview with Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera, stating that he is ready to appear before any interviewer anywhere in the world to defend the administration of Bola Tinubu.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that Bwala made the remarks in a statement on Saturday, addressing the backlash that trailed the interview on the programme Head to Head.

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He said defending the President and his administration is a responsibility he accepted with full awareness of the challenges involved.

“In the last 24 hours, social media has exploded over my interview with Mehdi Hassan, albeit with varied opinions. When I accepted the privileged job granted to me by Mr. President, I was fully aware of its implications,” he said.

According to Bwala, the task of promoting and defending the administration is not an easy one, but it is a responsibility he carries out with commitment.

He added that he has no intention of avoiding interviews that scrutinise the government’s policies and actions.

“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.

The presidential aide also explained how he came to participate in the interview with the international broadcaster.

He said the Head to Head programme contacted him several months earlier, indicating that the discussion would focus on issues such as security, the economy and corruption.

According to him, the programme did not inform him beforehand that questions would also focus on his past criticisms of President Tinubu.

Bwala said such issues should have been communicated earlier to allow him prepare detailed responses, though he added that the matter was ultimately the responsibility of the interview organisers.

He further criticised what he described as “opposition research-style journalism” during the interview, alleging that some of the quotes attributed to organisations and groups were inaccurate or misleading.

Bola Tinubu Not Bothered by My Past Criticism - Daniel Bwala — Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, during an interview with Al Jazeera’s Mehdi Hassan

The presidential spokesman also addressed questions about comments he made against Tinubu in the past when he was in the opposition.

According to him, those remarks were made in a different political context and do not affect his current role in government.

Bwala noted that political realignments are common in global politics, citing the administration of Donald Trump in the United States as an example where several officials previously criticised the president before later joining his government.

He added that President Tinubu is not concerned about such past political disagreements.

“Those things do not bother President Tinubu if anyone cares to know,” he said.

Bwala also dismissed reactions from critics, describing many of them as opposition supporters who lack clear policy alternatives.

He said their reactions to the interview would not change the government’s focus on implementing its programmes and policies.

Despite the controversy surrounding the interview, Bwala expressed respect for Mehdi Hasan, whom he described as one of the best debaters globally.

He added that he is open to participating in a second session of the Head to Head interview, expressing hope that future discussions would focus more on the administration’s policies and achievements.