• Super Admin
• 07 Mar, 2026

President Bola Tinubu's media aide, Daniel Bwala, has spoken for the first time since facing widespread criticism over his recent interview with Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera. In a statement on Saturday, Bwala described defending the President as a challenging task, but one he is fully committed to. He said, 'In the last 24 hours, social media has exploded over my interview with Mehdi Hassan, albeit with varied opinions. Let me set the record straight. "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. "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. "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 and 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 programs 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.' "I conclude by thanking the many Nigerians and non-Nigerians who sent in their commendations over my brave defence of our government in an interview where the anchor would hardly let you answer a question unless it suited his narrative. "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." Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources. Bwala Denies Past Criticisms of Tinubu on Al Jazeera's 'Head to Head'Presidential aide Daniel Bwala contradicted previous statements made while in opposition, denying critical comments about President Bola Tinubu during an interview on Al Jazeera. The interview, hosted by Mehdi Hasan, featured past quotes and clips where Bwala criticized Tinubu's actions and campaign. Read more " Tinubu's Aide Bwala Insists Insecurity Not Worsening Despite Fresh Terrorist AttacksA Trusted Nigerian Newspaper Read more " Bwala Defends Bagudu Amidst Corruption AllegationsPresidential aide Daniel Bwala defends Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Bagudu against corruption allegations raised on Al Jazeera's Head to Head programme. Bwala asserts there's no evidence of misappropriation by Bagudu under Nigerian law, despite US Department of Justice allegations from the 1990s and the freezing of Bagudu's assets. He emphasizes the separation between US and Nigerian legal processes. Read more " Daniel Bwala Faces Backlash Over Al Jazeera Interview, Calls for SackPresidential aide Daniel Bwala is facing severe criticism after an interview on Al Jazeera's 'Head to Head' program, where he denied previous critical comments made against President Tinubu. The interview, hosted by Mehdi Hasan, led to widespread condemnation on social media, with many Nigerians calling for Bwala's dismissal. Read more " Daniel Bwala Under Fire After 'Embarrassing' Al Jazeera Interview with Mehdi HasanA Trusted Nigerian Newspaper Read more " 'It's all politics' -- Bwala defends past remarks on Tinubu after Al Jazeera interviewDaniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has responded to the wave of reactions... Read more " Source: https://ng.headtopics.com/news/breaking-daniel-bwala-breaks-silence-over-al-jazeera-80687073