Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has stated that several members of the president’s cabinet previously criticized him before joining his administration.
Bwala made the remark while reacting to the controversy that followed his recent appearance on Al Jazeera’s “Head to Head” programme.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, the presidential aide said past criticisms of Tinubu should not be surprising, noting that political realignments are common in politics.
“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 added that many politicians who once opposed leaders later became part of their governments.
“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.”
Bwala’s comments follow the reactions that trailed his interview on the programme hosted by Mehdi Hasan, where he was confronted with statements he made about Tinubu while supporting former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 election campaign.
Tribune Online reports that during the exchange, Hasan cited remarks from January 2023 in which Bwala was said to have accused Tinubu of creating a militia to influence the election.
“You said Tinubu started a militia to sway the election corruptly,” Hasan put to Bwala.
“Tinubu didn’t create a militia, and I never said that,” he responded.
Hasan also referred to claims about alleged cash movements into Tinubu’s residence during an election.
“I never said that,” Bwala replied.
The interviewer further referenced video clips circulating online in which Bwala previously claimed that Tinubu or individuals linked to him had threatened him.
“I never said that,” Bwala insisted.
Reacting to the interview, Bwala said the programme’s producers did not inform him that questions would centre on his past comments about the president.
“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 said he remained ready to defend the Tinubu administration at any time, stressing that it was part of his responsibility in government.
“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 also criticised the interview style of the programme’s host, saying some of the claims cited during the interview were inaccurate.
“I refused to swallow the pill of Mehdi’s “opposition research-style journalism,” and even today, if you carefully compare what he read as quotes from organisations and groups, you will see that many were inaccurate and some were outright fake news.”
He dismissed the reactions that followed the interview, describing many of the critics as members of the opposition and their supporters.
“The majority of the naysayers are members of the opposition and their sympathisers.”
Bwala, however, maintained respect for the programme’s host and said he was looking forward to a second part of the interview.
“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.