Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has criticised Al Jazeera for what he described as “opposition-style journalism” following his appearance on the network’s “Head to Head” programme.
The interview, hosted by Mehdi Hasan, examined Tinubu’s administration under the theme “Nigeria: ‘Renewed Hope’ or ‘Hopelessness’?” During the programme, Bwala was confronted with past statements and video clips from his time in the opposition, when he was aligned with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. The interview quickly went viral, prompting Bwala to issue a detailed response.
In his statement, Bwala emphasised that he remains willing “to appear before any interviewer, anywhere in the world, any day and at any time, to defend this government and its policies.” He noted that while “Head to Head” requested the interview to discuss the Tinubu administration’s handling of security, the economy, and corruption, they did not indicate that his past remarks would be scrutinised.
Bwala argued that the approach of revisiting old statements constituted “opposition research-style journalism” and claimed that some of the quotes attributed to him were inaccurate or misleading. He added that his previous criticisms of Tinubu were made during his opposition years and should be seen in the context of politics.
He drew a comparison with other political contexts, noting that many cabinet members in the United States once spoke against Donald Trump, and several Nigerian officials had also previously criticised Tinubu without it affecting their current roles.
Bwala dismissed the reaction from opposition supporters, saying, “Their temporary excitement over the interview has not lasted and will not last, because it does not take away their obvious problem of lack of vision, mission in conducting and managing a political party; yet they seek to manage Nigeria.” He challenged critics to present viable alternative policies, concluding with the Hausa saying, “Ga fili, Ga doki.”
