Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has dismissed the wave of criticism that followed his appearance on Head to Head aired by Al Jazeera, insisting he has no regrets about defending the administration of Bola Tinubu.
The interview, hosted by journalist Mehdi Hasan, aired on Thursday and quickly sparked reactions across social media platforms, particularly X. Clips from the debate went viral, with critics describing Bwala’s performance as embarrassing while supporters praised him for confronting tough questions on an international platform.
During the programme, Hasan repeatedly confronted Bwala with past statements he had made about President Tinubu before defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2023 elections. In those earlier remarks, Bwala had accused Tinubu of corruption and questioned his fitness to lead Nigeria.
When Bwala denied making some of the statements during the debate, Hasan presented video clips showing the adviser making the comments. The moment triggered widespread reactions online, with many users sharing the footage and questioning Bwala’s credibility.
Hasan also challenged the presidential aide on Nigeria’s security situation, referencing reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch which highlighted worsening insecurity in parts of the country. Critics argued that Bwala struggled to counter the figures presented during the discussion.
However, in a statement released on Saturday, Bwala said the backlash was expected and largely driven by opposition supporters. According to him, the criticism would not distract him from his responsibility of promoting and defending the policies of the Tinubu administration.
He argued that his role was not to seek popularity but to communicate government policies and achievements. Bwala also claimed the programme never informed him beforehand that his past political statements would be scrutinized, describing the approach as unfair though he said he accepted it as part of the debate.
Despite the controversy, Bwala maintained respect for Hasan, describing him as one of the best debaters in the world. He also expressed willingness to appear again on the programme in the future, saying he would gladly face further questions about the administration’s record.
Bwala concluded that criticism from the opposition was temporary and insisted the government remained focused on delivering policies and programmes for Nigerians.
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