Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala has responded to the intense reactions that followed his recent interview with international journalist Mehdi Hasan, saying he remains ready to defend the administration anywhere in the world.
In a statement on Saturday, Bwala said the interview, which has generated heated debate on social media in the last 24 hours, drew mixed reactions but insisted he had nothing to hide and would never avoid tough questions about the government he serves.
According to him, defending President Tinubu and the administration’s policies is central to his role, adding that he is prepared to appear before any interviewer, anywhere and at any time, to promote and defend the government.
Bwala explained that the programme Head to Head approached him for the interview months ago, indicating they intended to question the government on security, the economy and corruption. He said the organisers never disclosed that questions about his past political comments would also form part of the discussion.
He criticised what he described as “opposition research-style journalism,” alleging that some of the quotes attributed to organisations during the interview were inaccurate while others amounted to fake news.
The presidential aide also addressed criticisms over his past remarks about President Tinubu, noting that they were made when he was in the opposition and should be viewed in the context of politics.
“Half of Donald Trump’s cabinet once spoke against him, and several members of our own cabinet previously criticised President Tinubu. Those things do not bother him,” Bwala said.
He further dismissed many of the critics of the interview as members of the opposition and their sympathisers, arguing that their reactions would not change what he described as their “lack of vision and alternative policies” for Nigeria.
Bwala expressed appreciation to Nigerians and others who commended what he called his “brave defence” of the administration during the interview, despite what he claimed was a hostile questioning style by the anchor.
While maintaining respect for Mehdi Hasan, whom he described as one of the world’s best debaters, Bwala said he looks forward to a second part of the interview, which he hopes will focus more on the administration’s policies and achievements.
