- Safiu Kehinde
The Special Advisers to the President on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, has admitted to his past criticism of President Bola Tinubu following backlash over his interview on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head interview programme.
NPO Reported that Bwala had on Friday come under public spotlight after his appearance on the programme anchored by Al Jazeera’s presenter, Mehdi Hassan.
Mehdi had in the course of the interview dug up the presidential spokesperson’s past criticism against Tinubu as well as allegations ranging from the militia formation claim to the alleged transportation of two cash-ladened bullion van into Tinubu’s residence for vote buying.
Bwala openly denied making such allegations against the President while also dismissing his claim that Tinubu attempted to assassinate him.
This had attracted backlash and mixed reactions from netizens as video of the interview with clips of where he made the allegations surfaced online.
Reacting to the backlash in a statement issued on his X handle on Saturday, Bwala eventually admitted to his past criticism and allegations against Tinubu.
He however claimed they were all political strategy used by opposition members against the current administration.
The presidential spokesperson also defended his decision to work for Tinubu as he claimed that most members of o the United States President Donald Trump’s cabinet are largely people who once criticised him.
“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.
“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. Those things do not bother him if you care to know.” Bwala said.
He further slammed opposition members who joined in the criticism against him over the interview.
Bwala maintained that he is unbothered by their criticism as he challenged them to also go to the Head to Head programme if they are sure about their convictions of defeating Tinubu.
“The majority of the naysayers are members of the opposition and their sympathisers. It does not bother me one bit. 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.
“Clearly they have no path to victory and no alternative policies or program for the Nigerian people.
“And if they say they do, they can as well go to head to head and be interrogated on that; as the saying in Hausa goes “Ga fili Ga doki.” The presidential aide said.
While reaffirming his pledge to defend the Tinubu-led administration, Bwala accused the programme organisers of doing what he labelled ‘opposition reasearch-style journalism’ as he claimed that a dig into his past actions were not part of the agreement they had before the interview.
“When I signed on to the privileged job granted to me by Mr. President, I was well aware of its implications. Selling ice cream, looking fine, and seeking the praises of men were never part of it.
“Some of the fiercest critics of my interview cannot even stand local TV anchors. But the task of promoting and defending the President and his administration is what I do with ease and joy.
“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.
“I have never, and will never, subscribe to ducking or dodging interviews on matters that concern promoting and defending the administration I was appointed to serve. It is the least of what is required of me. Head to Head contacted me requesting an interview, stating that they wanted to challenge our government on security, the economy, and corruption.
“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. 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. But I will leave that for another day.” He said.
However, Bwala commending Mehdi for the conduct of the interview, as express readiness to appear before the programme host again for another 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.” He added.